Colorado State University is a public institution that was founded in 1870. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 23,479, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 586 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Colorado State University's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 121. Its in-state tuition and fees are $9,313 (2013-14); out-of-state tuition and fees are $25,166 (2013-14).

Colorado State University is located in Fort Collins, a midsize city at the base of the Rocky Mountains, less than an hour north of Denver.

Colorado State, also known as CSU, offers more than 150 degrees in eight colleges, with graduate programs in the schools of business, engineering, and education and the renowned College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

CSU is considered one of the leading research universities, and faculty and students work together to explore fields such as atmospheric science, infectious diseases, clean energy technologies, and environmental science.

Outside the classroom and research lab, students can get involved with the more than 350 campus organizations, including about 35 fraternities and sororities. Student athletes can find sports at the recreational, club, and varsity level, with the CSU mascot and colors reflecting the school’s past. CSU began as an agricultural school, and so the sports teams were called the Aggies, which were green and gold to represent farming. The school held onto the colors, but the more than 15 varsity sports teams are now called the Rams, which compete in the NCAA Division I Mountain West Conference.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

Colorado State University is one of the premier teaching and research institutions in the United States. Founded in 1870 and established as a land-grant institution, Colorado State is a fully accredited public university recognized for its excellence in academic programs from the baccalaureate to the postgraduate level. Our land-grant mission of teaching, research, and outreach means that we're dedicated to service - serving you, our students, first. Colorado State offers more than 150 programs of study within eight colleges allowing you to shape a course of study that best meets your personal and professional goals. The University emphasizes the importance of active learning providing opportunities for field experience, laboratory research, internships, and study abroad. As a student at Colorado State, you will learn side-by-side with faculty mentors who are recognized internationally as leaders in their fields. Colorado State University is located in the center of Fort Collins, a city of about 144,000 people. Fort Collins, Money Magazine's 2010 6th Best Place to Live, provides a unique blend of big city advantages and small town friendliness. You'll find everything you want - several shopping centers, hundreds of restaurants, multiple movie complexes, a regional cultural center, natural areas, and miles of bike and hiking trails. Close to campus are world-famous Rocky Mountain National Park, the Poudre River, and Horsetooth Reservoir. These recreation areas, as well as many others close by, offer endless opportunities for outdoor activities - such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, camping, white-water rafting, and boating. And the city's agreeable climate of 300 days of sunshine a year enables you to take year-round advantage of the spectacular surroundings.

General Information 

Applying

When applying to Colorado State University, it's important to note the application deadline is February 1, and the early action deadline is December 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due May 1. The application fee at Colorado State University is $50. It is selective, with an acceptance rate of 74.7 percent and an early acceptance rate of 94.1 percent.

Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at Colorado State University is 17:1, and the school has 34.2 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Colorado State University include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences; Social Sciences; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; and Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 83.8 percent.

Class sizes

Five most popular majors for 2012 graduates

Student Life

Colorado State University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 23,479, with a gender distribution of 48.7 percent male students and 51.3 percent female students. At this school, 24.5 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 75.5 percent of students live off campus. Colorado State University is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.
 

Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity

Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority
 

Campus Info & Services

Colorado State University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. Colorado State University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Colorado State University. 

Paying for School

At Colorado State University, 53.2 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $9,360.