Number 3: University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder, CO

#92 in National Universities (tie)

...The Colorado Buffaloes compete in the NCAA Division I Pac-12 Conference. The student athletes, called Buffs for short, are supported by two buffalo mascots: a costumed student called Chip and a live animal named Ralphie V. The university stresses its commitment to volunteer efforts like Better Boulder Better World, a day of community service in the surrounding neighborhoods. For trips off campus, there are 11 ski slopes within 3 hours of campus, and Rocky Mountain National Park is 45 miles away. A bit closer is Denver, the state capital, where students can catch professional sports matches or concerts in the unique outdoor concert hall, Red Rocks Amphitheatre....

Tuition and Fees
$35,079 (out-of-state)
$11,531 (in-state)

Undergraduate Enrollment
27,010

Number 2: University of Denver
Denver, CO

#86 in National Universities (tie)

...Student athletes compete on the Denver Pioneers sports teams, members of the NCAA Division I Summit League. The school's ski team has won more national championships than any other program in the country. On the professional level, Denver has a team in each of the four major sports leagues: the Denver Broncos in the NFL, the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL, the Denver Nuggets in the NBA and the Colorado Rockies in the MLB. For creative entertainment, students can check out musical, theatrical and innovative performances in the on-campus Newman Center. The university campus also hosts the Pen and Podium series, which brings in several famous authors and poets to speak each year. To explore downtown Denver, students can hop on the city's Light Rail system, a network of monorail trains that stops on campus and goes to more than 40 other locations. The city is known for its revitalized urban areas, including Lower Downtown, or LoDo, a hub of shopping, dining and nightlife that is 8 miles from campus....

Tuition and Fees
$46,362

Undergraduate Enrollment
5,758

Number 1: Colorado School of Mines
Golden, CO

#82 in National Universities (tie)

...Cold-weather sports fans can partake in the annual Winter Carnival, a student-run affair packed with skiing and snowboarding at a local resort. The Mines sports teams, known as the Orediggers, compete in the NCAA Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, which is mostly made up of other teams from Colorado. The school mascot is Blaster the burro, and a giant "M" emblazoned onto nearby Mount Zion signifies the school spirit. There are more than 140 student clubs and organizations, including seven fraternities and three sororities. First-year students are required to live on campus. Even the student newspaper, The Oredigger, is decidedly science based; sections include weekly roundups of new discoveries and a Geek of the Week feature....

Tuition and Fees
$34,828 (out-of-state)
$17,383 (in-state)

Undergraduate Enrollment
4,608