Colorado Colleges Road Trip Plan a Spring Break Visit

March 2015 Colorado Colleges Road Trip Plan a Spring Break Visit

Colorado’s Four-Year Colleges and Universities:

 Adams State College  Colorado Christian Why Visit Colleges? University  Colorado College The applications have been  Colorado Mesa University submitted and soon the latest  Colorado School of Mines crop of high school seniors will be  Colorado State University deciding where they will attend  Fort Collins college this fall. As seniors finish  Pueblo the taxing college admissions  Fort Lewis College process, sophomores and juniors  Johnson and Wales University are beginning their own search for  Metropolitan State a future home. For students and University of Denver parents alike, one of the first tasks  Naropa University is deciding which colleges and From left, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, University of Colorado,  Regis University universities to visit. Boulder and the Auraria Campus in Denver  United States Air Force Academy What Do You Like? Things  University of Colorado Choosing the right college is a many colleges at a time when  Boulder major decision and it is often a there is no pressure to "choose," to Consider:  Colorado Springs difficult one. In the United States, you give yourself a broad  Denver there are more than 3,000 4-year Public or Private?  University of Denver perspective on what is out there.  colleges. Visiting schools helps Check out what is available so that University of Northern Four-year or two-year? Colorado you become familiar with a variety when it is time to apply to  Western State Colorado of higher education options and it colleges, you know what you like Liberal Arts or University? University helps you to narrow your and you know where to find it. selection criteria before you begin Inside: the application process. Before Geographic Location - far or senior year see as many different near? Small town or big city? University of kinds of colleges as you can—big 2 Colorado schools, small schools, research Size of college —big or small? universities, liberal arts colleges, Colorado State 2 urban campuses, and places way Religious or Non- University out in the country. By visiting Denominational? Colorado College 2 Regis University 3 Colorado School of Why Visit Colorado Colleges? 3 Mines University of Parents and students what they like and what Once students narrow 3 Northern Colorado should think in terms of they do not like. College their preferences, they Small Four-Year the types of schools to choices will then be much can more efficiently 4 Colleges visit rather than focusing clearer. expand their search to US Air Force on specific institutions out-of-state schools if Academy 4 when first approaching Visiting the Colorado desired. Two-Year Colleges 4 college visits. Doing this schools is an inexpensive provides wider exposure way to experience most to what is out there and major types of colleges helps students distinguish and universities. Page 2 Colorado Colleges Road Trip

University of Colorado, Boulder 31,700 Students oldest institution of higher of Colorado, Denver (14,000 learning in the state. students); and the Anschutz Boulder population Examples are University of Medical Campus in Aurora (3,900 students). The Denver 103,000 (small metro) California, Berkeley, University of Michigan, and the Colorado Springs University of Virginia, campuses are examples of The University of Colorado University of Washington, commuter schools. They is a state flagship university University of Texas at Austin, both offer housing and they and a major research and University of Kansas. require freshmen to live on university. Some state Flagships often include law, campus, but they exempt the flagships are also land-grant business and medical schools. local resident students. A colleges. Typically, the sizable percent of their flagship is the state university The University of Colorado students commute from their that gets the most funding is a university system and parent’s homes or from and is the most selective in homes away from the campus there are three other admitting students. It is campuses: University of area. Commuter schools regarded as the top state Colorado, Colorado Springs have a very different feel, university. Often, it is the (11,000 students); University especially on the weekends.

Colorado State University 27,000 Students not exclude classical studies. of Nebraska, Texas A&M, Most land-grant colleges are and Virginia Tech. Land- Fort Collins large public universities, but grant schools often include population 155,000 some are private schools engineering and vet schools. (small metro) such as Cornell University The CSU system also and Massachusetts Institute includes CSU Pueblo, a CSU is a land-grant state of Technology. Examples of regional university; and CSU university as well as a major land-grant colleges are -Global Campus, an on-line research university. The Auburn, Purdue, University university. focus of a land-grant of Florida (some schools are university is teaching both land-grant colleges and practical agriculture, science state flagships), Kansas and engineering. This does State, Iowa State, University

Colorado College 2,060 Students the liberal arts and sciences. expensive, but if you need Most do not offer financial aid, private liberal Colorado Springs engineering degrees. arts colleges are often more population 440,000 Faculty members are generous than state focused on undergraduate institutions. Examples of (mid-size metro) teaching, not research or liberal arts colleges are graduate students. There is Williams, Amherst, Pomona, Colorado College is a typically a low student to Carleton, Smith, and private four-year, co- teacher ratio and students Grinnell. educational liberal arts easily get to know their college. The emphasis of professors. Liberal arts liberal arts colleges is colleges are typically private undergraduate education in schools and can be Page 3

Regis University 9,700 Students Springs. One of the guiding Colorado Christian College principles of a Jesuit 1,100 Students Denver population education is the education Lakewood population 2.9 million (major of the whole person. The 147,000 (Suburb) focus is on academic metro) excellence, ethics, CCU is a private Christian Regis University is a compassion, and making a difference in the world. liberal arts university. It fully coeducational, Roman integrates faith with its Catholic, Jesuit university. They promote religious academics and requires The main campus is on 100 diversity and they welcome acres northwest of students who are not chapel attendance, downtown Denver. The Catholic. Examples of Jesuit community service through a university also has five small colleges are Georgetown, local or international satellite campuses Boston College, Loyola, ministry and signing of a throughout the state, Gonzaga and Santa Clara. Lifestyle Covenant. including one in Colorado

Colorado School of Mines 5,700 Students Colorado School of Mines is schools are the polytechnic “Mines is a small university, a public research universities; their focus is Golden population serving a worldwide university devoted to the instruction and research 20,000 (small city) engineering and applied of technical arts and applied community, committed to a science. Their mission is to sciences. Examples of universal mission — to create enhance the understanding engineering and polytechnic of the earth, energy and the schools include Georgia solutions related to earth, environment. They provide Tech, MIT, Rensselaer energy and the environment.” a technical education with Polytechnic, Worcester extensive laboratories and Polytechnic, and New - Dr. Nigel T. Middleton, hands-on training. Mines is Mexico Institute of Mining Senior Vice President for an engineering school. and Technology. Similar to engineering Strategic Enterprises

University of Northern Colorado 12,075 Students universities started out as University, University of teachers' colleges, South Florida, and Western Greeley population broadening their Washington University. 96,540 (small city/city) educational missions in the 1950's or 1960's. In most instances, a directional The University of Northern university has easier Colorado is a directional admissions standards than university. A directional its state's flagship university. university is a state- Examples of directional supported university whose universities are University name includes a compass of Northern Arizona, direction. Many directional Western Michigan Adams State, Fort Lewis, and Western State

Western State Fort Lewis Adams State 2,200 Students 3,860 Students 3,700 Students Gunnison population Durango population Alamosa population 5,875(college town) 16,900 (small city) 9,100 (small town)

These are small four-year colleges. Small colleges typically do not have large research missions and they offer limited or no advanced degrees. They often offer small class sizes, dedicated faculty, and a supportive learning environment that provides each student with the skills he or she needs to succeed.

United States Air Force Academy Two Year Colleges

These are educational institutions that provide 4,400 Cadets higher education for the equivalent of two Colorado Springs population 440,000 (mid- years. Students can earn a vocational or size metro) associates degree in two years or they can transfer to a four-year college to earn a The USAFA is one of five United States service academies charged with the education and training of future officers for the U.S. bachelor’s degree. They are typically less military. Cadets and midshipmen graduate as commissioned expensive than four year colleges and they have officers and are obligated to service for a certain period of time, open admission. There are residential usually five years, although many choose to stay and make the campuses and non-residential campuses. military a life-long career. The other service academies are the Examples of residential campuses are Trinidad United States Military Academy (West Point), the United States State Junior College (Trinidad), Northeastern Coast Guard Academy, the United States Naval Academy and the Junior College (Sterling), Colorado Mountain United States Merchant Marine Academy. Other schools offer College (Steamboat, Leadville, and Glenwood), military training. Some colleges have a mixed student body that and Colorado Northwestern Community includes a Corps of Cadets and traditional civilian students. Examples are Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and Norwich. The Citadel College (Rifle). Examples of non-residential and Virginia Military Academy do not have the mixed student body campuses are Pikes Peak Community College and require all their students to be cadets and participate in ROTC. (Colorado Springs) and Pueblo Community Many colleges offer ROTC programs. College (Pueblo).

Distance from Colorado Springs:

 Alamosa 43 miles, 2 hours 32 minutes  Boulder 97 miles, 1 hour 36 minutes  Denver 70 miles, 1 hour 8 minutes  Durango 314 miles, 5 hours 20 minutes  Fort Collins 133 miles, 2 hours 5 minutes  Golden 83 miles, 1 hour 7 minutes  Grand Junction 311 miles, 4 hours 48 minutes  Greeley 132 miles, 2 hours 3 minutes  Gunnison 172 miles, 3 hours 8 minutes  Lakewood 73 miles, 1 hour 11 minutes  Pueblo 43 miles, 38 minutes