University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, CO · WestQuad's selectivitySelective

Known forBig campusTest-optional heavy

Website Admissions Apply Visit Financial aid

Admissions · Fall 2024

8 in 10 applicants admitted

U. Colorado Boulder admits about 8 in 10 applicants (78%). That puts it in the "Selective" tier, more selective than 48% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

78%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivitySelective

Applied

67,286

Admitted

52,539

Yield

14%

of admits enroll

SAT middle 50%

1240–1430

10001600

ACT middle 50%

29–33

1836

Applications +133% since fall 2014 · admit rate 84% → 78%Over time

Getting in, in detail: funnel, what they look at, your scores

Students

Who's on campus

A very large campus of 31,939 undergrads, where 14% receive Pell Grants, a low share compared to other colleges.

31.9K

undergrads · larger than 98% of colleges

Diversity index

0.52

Pell Grant

14%

below the median

First generation

20%

below the median

Midsize cityNCAA D-I FBS · Big Twelve ConferenceROTCStudy abroadUndergrad research

More diverse · index 0.46 → 0.52 since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Business Administration and Management, General (18% of graduates). 19 students for every faculty member, more than at 87% of colleges. 76% of faculty are full-time. Spends $18,515 a year on instruction per student.

19 to 1

students per faculty member · more than at 87% of colleges

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $43,699 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $19.4K more than the national median. The 53% who received grants paid $26,231 on average; the other 47% paid the full sticker price of $37,684 in-state / $63,197 out-of-state.

12%

$43.7K

average total cost per year, all first-years, after grants (est.) · $19.4K above the national median

Full price, in-state: $37,684 a year; tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid: Little need-based aid above $110K; aid thins out for families above that income

Aid generosity

Limited

grants cover 12% of full price

Federal loans

25%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office Veterans' benefits

Cost steady · −4% after inflation since 2013–14Over time

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $69,738 ten years after enrolling, more than at 83% of colleges; 74% graduate within six years. Four years of net price is about 2.5 years of that salary.

74%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$69.7K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$19.5K

≈ $207/month for 10 years

Retention

90%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 70% → 74% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

Since 2013–14, the full price fell 3% after inflation, and what the average first-year paid moved with it. Applications rose 133% since fall 2014, and the acceptance rate went from 84% to 78%.

Cost
Steady
−4% after inflation
Applications
Growing
+133%
Selectivity
More selective
admit rate 84% → 78%
Diversity
More diverse
index 0.46 → 0.52

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

Schools like this one

Indiana University-Bloomington

78% admit · SAT 1285 · 37.8K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar scoresSimilar size

Compare side-by-side

Michigan State University

83% admit · SAT 1270 · 40.9K undergrads

Similar sizeAlso public

Compare side-by-side

University of Delaware

71% admit · SAT 1280 · 19.1K undergrads

Similar scoresSimilar sizeAlso public

Compare side-by-side

University of Utah

86% admit · SAT 1285 · 27.3K undergrads

Similar scoresSimilar sizeAlso West

Compare side-by-side

Sources for this overviewEvery dataset and year behind the numbers on this profile; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources for this profile

1
IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
2
College Scorecard
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release; Entered fall 2023; Fall 2024; 2023–24; Fall 2023 · retrieved 2026-10-12
3
IPEDS Admissions survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
4
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
5
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
6
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
7
IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12
8
College Scorecard Field of Study data
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
9
IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
10
IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
11
Common Data Set
Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
12
IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Entered fall 2018 · retrieved 2026-10-12
13
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
14
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
15
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
16
IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
17
IPEDS Outcome Measures survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12
18
University of Colorado Boulder (2026)
University of Colorado Boulder · 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04

IPEDS unit ID 126614 · Data retrieved 2026-10-12. Tap any ⓘ to see where that number came from and what year it describes. National ranks and medians include every 4-year college that reports the measure. How we source and calculate everything