86%
annual student
retention rate
737
student veterans
using the GI Bill
87
new companies based on
CU Boulder Technologies
Since 1994
#1
public university recipient of NASA research awards
University of Colorado Boulder 
As one of 34 U.S. public research institutions belonging to the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU)—and the only member in the Rocky Mountain region—our goal at CU Boulder is to directly affect Colorado communities through collaborative research, innovation and entrepreneurship. Our faculty, staff and students work with the broader community to establish unique connections that have lasting outcomes—both across Colorado and around the world.
annual student
retention rate
student veterans
using the GI Bill
new companies based on
CU Boulder Technologies
Since 1994
public university recipient of NASA research awards
Positive impact is enhanced when great ideas merge with ambitious goals. At CU Boulder, we provide our students, faculty and staff with the tools they need to create a community of thinkers and doers who can benefit humanity locally, nationally and abroad.
200+
outreach programs affect more than
325,000+ Coloradans in 45 counties
111,000+
Colorado K–12 students and teachers
in 114 school districts benefit
from community outreach
50+
years of collaborative partnerships with
federal research labs and industry
partners along the Front Range
2,000+
students serve each year through CU
Boulder Volunteer Resource Center programs
A CU Boulder education is more than simply earning a degree. The value lies in the experience, perspective and opportunities that are gained along the way. At CU Boulder, we work with our students to create customized educational paths in an inclusive academic community, so students can merge their passions with their skills, all the while reinforcing their connections to each other and their commitment to improving our local and global communities.
Top 10
national rankings in physics (#1), geosciences (#2) and ceramics graduate program (#3)
#18
most entrepreneurial university in the nation (Forbes, 2015)
287,665
CU Boulder alumni worldwide
91%
% of CU Boulder graduates were employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation (According to a Career Services survey of May 2015 graduates)
85%
of graduates surveyed are satisfied or extremely satisfied with their job
77%
of CU Boulder graduates are accepted into their first-choice graduate school
Inventive thought and bold ideas often lead to exceptional impact. Because of this, we encourage our students, staff, faculty and community to work together on visionary projects. As one of the nation’s top 20 entrepreneurial universities, we find that our best endeavors originate in an encouraging and ambitious environment.
#2
most innovative tech hub in the U.S. (Forbes, 2015)
2,000+
undergraduates are directly involved with faculty research
1,734
patents filed and/or issued for CU Boulder inventions since 2006
140
license and option agreements granted to businesses in the past five years from CU Boulder discoveries
With a mission to serve the residents of Colorado, people are at the center of our actions and scholarly endeavors. Throughout our history, we’ve collaborated with communities across the state on economic, educational and social projects that create lasting good in Colorado.
35,000+ CU Boulder family members benefit from a variety of communications, programs and events to support student success through engagement, volunteerism and gifts to the Parent Fund.
Set in one of the world's most inspiring and entrepreneurial learning environments, the University of Colorado Boulder enables each member of our community to reach their potential and to Be Boulder through an extraordinary range of challenging academic, research and service opportunities. Our collaborative efforts are informed by our Flagship 2030 strategic plan.
To be a leader in addressing the humanitarian, social and technological challenges of the twenty-first century.
Our strategic imperatives are:
Shaping Tomorrow's
Leaders
A 10 percent increase in our six-year undergraduate graduation rate by 2020
Be the Top University
for Innovation
New partnerships and programs to minimize reliance on tuition rate increases
Impacting
Humanity
Build awareness of efforts that deliver positive impacts for Colorado and the world