University of Colorado Boulder

www.colorado.edu/

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2020 Undergraduate Tuition

$10,728

0% growth from 2019

2020 Average Net Price

$21,198

After Financial Aid

2018 Student Loan

2.45%

Default Rate

2020 Acceptance Rate

84.2%

44,203 Applicants

2020 Enrolled Students

37,437

81.5% Full-Time

2020 Graduation Rate

72.5%

4,199 Graduates

About

University of Colorado Boulder is a higher education institution located in Boulder County, CO. In 2020, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at University of Colorado Boulder were General Business Administration & Management (1,080 degrees awarded), General Psychology (485 degrees), and Computer Science (446 degrees).

In 2020, 9,622 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at University of Colorado Boulder. 46.3% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 53.7% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (6,454 degrees), 6.31 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1023 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at University of Colorado Boulder is $10,728, which is $−17,835 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

Photo by Ken Lund

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at University of Colorado Boulder is $10,728, which is $−17,835 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $21,198.

In 2020, 50% of undergraduate students attending University of Colorado Boulder received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 26% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$10,728

2020 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2020, the cost of tuition at University of Colorado Boulder was $10,728. The cost of tuition at University of Colorado Boulder is $−17,835 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

This chart compares the tuition costs of University of Colorado Boulder (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$21,198

2020 Value

3.98%

1 Year Growth

In 2020 University of Colorado Boulder had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $21,198. Between 2019 and 2020, the average net price of University of Colorado Boulder grew by 3.98%.

This chart compares the average net price of University of Colorado Boulder (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$13,914

Room and Board

$1,200

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at University of Colorado Boulder was of $13,914 in 2020. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,200. The cost of room and board increased by 2.91% between 2019 and 2020. The cost of books and supplies decreased by 33.3% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at University of Colorado Boulder (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

50%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

26%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

50% of undergraduate students at University of Colorado Boulder received financial aid through grants or loans in 2020. This represents a growth of 4.17% with respect to 2019, when 48% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at University of Colorado Boulder (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

2.45%

2018 Default Rate

102

Number of Defaults

In 2018 the default rate for borrower's at University of Colorado Boulder was 2.45%, which represents 102 out of the 4156 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

University of Colorado Boulder received 44,203 undergraduate applications in 2020, which represents a 8.67% annual growth. Out of those 44,203 applicants, 37,221 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 84.2% acceptance rate.

There were 37,437 students enrolled at University of Colorado Boulder in 2020, and 73% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

University of Colorado Boulder has an overall enrollment yield of 17%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

84.2%

Acceptance Rate in 2020

37,221

Accepted Out of 44,203

In 2020, the undergraduate acceptance rate of University of Colorado Boulder was 84.2% (37,221 admissions from 44,203 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2019, which was 78.4%. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of applicants grew by 8.67%, while admissions grew by 16.8%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of University of Colorado Boulder (in red) with that of other similar universities.

SAT Scores

73%

Submission Percentage

4,639

Scores Submitted

73% of enrolled first-time students at University of Colorado Boulder in 2020 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

University of Colorado Boulder has a total enrollment of 37,437 students. The full-time enrollment at University of Colorado Boulder is 30,519 students and the part-time enrollment is 6,918. This means that 81.5% of students enrolled at University of Colorado Boulder are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at University of Colorado Boulder, both undergraduate and graduate, is 66.4% White, 12.5% Hispanic or Latino, 5.85% Two or More Races, 5.75% Asian, 1.73% Black or African American, 0.211% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0748% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at University of Colorado Boulder in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Male (35.7%), followed by White Female (31.7%) and Hispanic or Latino Male (6.8%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Male (34.6%), followed by White Female (30.6%) and Hispanic or Latino Male (5.22%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

81.5%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at University of Colorado Boulder, both undergraduate and graduate, is 37,437 students. The full-time enrollment at University of Colorado Boulder is 30,519 and the part-time enrollment is 6,918. This means that 81.5% of students enrolled at University of Colorado Boulder are enrolled full-time compared with 76.5% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at University of Colorado Boulder (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

85%

2020 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at University of Colorado Boulder was 85%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (85%), University of Colorado Boulder had a retention rate approximately the same as its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at University of Colorado Boulder (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
24,867
Hispanic or Latino
4,690
Two or More Races
2,189

The enrolled student population at University of Colorado Boulder is 66.4% White, 12.5% Hispanic or Latino, 5.85% Two or More Races, 5.75% Asian, 1.73% Black or African American, 0.211% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0748% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 50% White, 15% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.69% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 398 students (1.06%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2020, 710 fewer women than men received degrees from University of Colorado Boulder. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at University of Colorado Boulder is white (6,454 degrees awarded). There were 6.31 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1023 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at University of Colorado Boulder is General Business Administration & Management (1,080 degrees awarded), followed by General Psychology (485 degrees) and Computer Science (446 degrees).

The most specialized majors across all degree types at University of Colorado Boulder, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Natural Resources & Conservation (258 degrees awarded), Architecture and Related Services (141 degrees), and Engineering (1,499 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Other managers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of Colorado Boulder are Other managers (477,429 people), Software developers (402,929 people), Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers (338,414 people), Civil engineers (257,414 people), and Postsecondary teachers (190,982 people).

The most specialized majors at University of Colorado Boulder are Natural Resources & Conservation (258 degrees awarded), Architecture and Related Services (141 degrees), Engineering (1,499 degrees), Physical Sciences (384 degrees), and Communications (694 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of Colorado Boulder are Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, Surgeons, Physicians, Derrick, rotary drill, & service unit operators, & roustabouts, oil, gas, & mining, and Dentists

Common Industries by Major

Architectural, engineering & related services

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of Colorado Boulder are Architectural, engineering & related services (583,821 people), Computer Systems Design (512,082 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (407,659 people), Construction (339,811 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (282,758 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by University of Colorado Boulder.

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
1080 degree-majorss awarded
General Psychology
485 degree-majorss awarded
Computer Science
446 degree-majorss awarded

In 2020, the most common bachelors degree concentration at University of Colorado Boulder was General Business Administration & Management with 1080 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at University of Colorado Boulder according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

5,166

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2020

4,456

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2020

In 2020, 5,166 degrees were awarded to men at University of Colorado Boulder, which is 1.16 times more than the number of degrees awarded to females (4,456).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at University of Colorado Boulder by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2020, 807 degrees were awarded to men at University of Colorado Boulder in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.79 times more than the 451 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2020, 451 degrees were awarded to women at University of Colorado Boulder in General Business Administration & Management, which is 0.559 times less than the 807 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

47%

100% Completion Time

71%

150% Completion Time

In 2020, 47% of students graduating from University of Colorado Boulder completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 71% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 73% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Black or African American Female

Highest Graduation Rate (78.9%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at University of Colorado Boulder is Female and Black or African American (78.9% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.4%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 0.143% of graduates (6 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
6,454 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
1,023 degrees awarded
Asian
502 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at University of Colorado Boulder is white (6,454 degrees awarded). There were 6.31 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1023 degrees).

1.04% of degree recipients (100 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic

White Male
3,431 degrees awarded
White Female
3,023 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Male
518 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at University of Colorado Boulder is white male (3,431 degrees awarded). There were 1.13 times more white male recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (3,023 degrees).

Operations

University of Colorado Boulder has an endowment valued at nearly $N/A, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $424k (NaNk%), compared to the 3.43% average return ($10.5M on $307M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2020, University of Colorado Boulder had a total salary expenditure of $1.74B. University of Colorado Boulder employs 528 Professors, 469 Instructors, and 376 Associate professors. Most academics at University of Colorado Boulder are Male Professors (381), Female Instructors(246), and Male Instructors (223).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of Colorado Boulder are: Computer, Engineering, and Science, with 1257 employees, Research, with 888 employees, and Management with 880 employees.

Endowment

growth from 2019

This line chart shows how the endowment at University of Colorado Boulder (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$435M - Federal
$64.5M - State
$2.81M - Local

As of 2020, University of Colorado Boulder received $435M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $64.5M from state grants and contracts, and $2.81M from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$784M

2020 Salaries

5.51%

growth from 2019

In 2020, University of Colorado Boulder paid a median of $784M in salaries, which represents 44.9% of their overall expenditure ($1.74B) and a 5.51% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 6.54% growth from 2018 and a 7.72% growth from 2017.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 238M (42.6% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$174M

Instructional Salaries

1,711

Number of Employees

In 2020, University of Colorado Boulder paid a total of $174M to 1,711 employees working as instructors, which represents 22.2% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $70.3M (29.6%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

528 Employees

Computer, Engineering, and Science

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

1257 Employees

In 2020, the most common positions for instructional staff at University of Colorado Boulder were Professor with 528 employees; Instructor with 469 employees; and Instructor with 376 employees.

In 2020, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of Colorado Boulder were Computer, Engineering, and Science with 1,257 employees; Research with 888 employees; and Management with 880 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Female Instructor
Male Instructor

In 2020, the most common demographic for instructional staff at University of Colorado Boulder was Male Professor with 381 employees, Female Instructor with 246 employees, and Male Instructor with 223 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at University of Colorado Boulder.