University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, CO · Public

Official website

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Admission rate

University of Colorado Boulder admitted 76.2% of applicants university-wide (52,534 of 68,931).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide76.2%52,53468,931
In-state84.8%14,67817,301
Out-of-state72.9%35,69248,976
International applicants81.5%2,1642,654
Men70.5%24,31634,500
Women81.2%28,20134,718

Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 15) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.

Of 52,534 admitted students, 7,432 enrolled (14.1% yield).

University of Colorado Boulder Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1180–1390
ACT (mid-50%)
27–33
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.50–4.00

Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)

University of Colorado Boulder Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $64,082/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$40,320
Fees, housing, food, books & other$23,762
Sticker cost of attendance$64,082/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$14,231
$30k–48k$14,381
$48k–75k$18,828
$75k–110k$26,915
Over $110k$34,818

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Chancellor's Achievement Scholarship — Up to $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Presidential Scholarship — Up to $15,000 per year (Presidential)
  • Heritage Scholarship — Up to $10,000 per year (Merit)
  • Chancellor's Classic Scholarship — Up to $4,000 per year (Merit)
  • CU Boulder Grant — Varies (Need Based)

International applicants

No need-based aid reported for internationals.

  • Chancellor's Achievement Scholarship — Up to $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • International Student Scholarship — Up to $15,000 per year (International Aid)
  • Presidential Scholarship — Up to $15,000 per year (Presidential)
  • Heritage Scholarship — Up to $10,000 per year (Merit)
  • Chancellor's Classic Scholarship — Up to $4,000 per year (Merit)

University of Colorado Boulder Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Common Application
  • High school transcript
  • Letter of recommendation
  • SAT or ACT scores (optional)
  • Application fee

International applicants

  • Common Application
  • High school transcript
  • Letter of recommendation
  • SAT or ACT scores (optional)
  • Application fee
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

University of Colorado Boulder · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts).

Draft these in the free Essay Coach

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$69,738
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
74.2%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
90%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$19,500
At graduation

University of Colorado Boulder · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • U.S. News National: #97
  • WSJ: #238
  • Forbes: #93
  • Niche: #199
  • QS: #299

Deadlines

  • 2026-11-15Early Action — Non-binding early round
  • 2027-01-15Regular Decision — Standard deadline

University of Colorado Boulder Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (18%), Engineering (13%), Biological & life sciences (12%).

Student–faculty ratio: 19:1 · 40% of class sections have under 20 students.

University of Colorado Boulder Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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