Western Colorado University
Western Colorado University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Western Colorado University Featured Rankings
About Western Colorado University
According to Wikipedia, Western Colorado University is a public university in Gunnison, Colorado. It enrolls approximately 2,600 undergraduate and 400 graduate students, with 25 percent coming from out of state. Western offers more than 100 undergraduate areas of study and seven graduate programs, five of which are available as accelerated degree programs. Since 2013, Western's student headcount has grown by 17.4%, the highest percentage increase in full-time enrollment in Colorado outside of the University of Colorado System.
Western Colorado University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,283 | 100% | 72% | 48% | 1258 | 24 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Western Colorado University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $11,511 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $9,201 |
| 30K - 48K | $9,687 |
| 48K - 75K | $8,951 |
| 75K - 110K | $16,593 |
| 110K+ | $20,671 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Western Colorado University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Western Colorado University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $53,355 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Western Colorado University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 5,959 | 5,303 | 656 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Western Colorado University?
Western Colorado University is located at 1 Western Way, Gunnison, CO 81231.
How Safe is Western Colorado University?
Western Colorado University reported 0.3 violent and property offenses on campus per 1,000 students in 2024, fewer than most midsize residential campuses. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Western Colorado University has a violent crime rate of 0.03% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Gunnison has a violent crime rate of 0.39% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 3.78%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Western Colorado University Known For?
Western Colorado University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Biology
- Sociology
- Literature
- Education
- Earth Sciences
- Anthropology
- Business
- Mathematics
- Political Science
- History
- Computer Science
- Psychology
- Physics
- Economics
- Medical
- Chemistry
- Communications
Western Colorado University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Western Colorado University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Western Colorado University ranks #821 in the U.S. and #3554 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #960 in the U.S. and #3217 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #1024 in the U.S. and #3067 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #1035 in the U.S. and #4428 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #1303 in the U.S. and #4731 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #1307 in the U.S. and #3916 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #1356 in the U.S. and #4985 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #1436 in the U.S. and #5418 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #1488 in the U.S. and #6263 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #1503 in the U.S. and #4843 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #1571 in the U.S. and #6430 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #1681 in the U.S. and #4436 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #1688 in the U.S. and #6135 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #1758 in the U.S. and #7770 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #1985 in the U.S. and #6877 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #2133 in the U.S. and #7444 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWestern Colorado University ranks #2270 in the U.S. and #8376 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications Degrees
