University of Colorado, Boulder

University of Colorado Boulder was founded in 1876, and is located in an urban setting on about 600 acres. Along with its undergraduate colleges, the school has graduate programs through the College of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Education, and the Law School. With a population of roughly 32,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students, there are plenty of opportunities for extracurricular activities.

The student to faculty ratio for undergrads is roughly 18 to 1. About 40% of the classes have fewer than 20 students. There are over 3,600 academic courses and 77 degrees for undergrads to choose from at CU Boulder. Students can enroll in specific programs through the schools of Architecture and Planning, Arts and Sciences, Leeds School of Business, Engineering and Applied Science, Journalism and Mass Communication, Music, and Education. The most popular majors are business/marketing, engineering, biological/life sciences, social sciences and communication/journalism.

Students can utilize on-campus resources like an observatory, planetarium, mountain research station, and the Alliance for Teaching, Learning, and Society Center (ATLAS). This program unites students with leaders in the fields of academics, industry, and government to help accomplish goals. There are also more than 14 academic programs for undergrads that feature classes from top faculty members and offer smaller class sizes.

Roughly 1,300 students choose to participate in one of over 350 CU Boulder study abroad programs. They can travel to 65 countries. There are more than 450 student-run organizations on campus, in addition to nearly 30 officially recognized Greek groups. About 22% of the CU undergraduates participate in Greek life.

CU Boulder students also take part in many volunteering efforts. One of their biggest events is the Better Boulder Better World, where students perform community service in the area. CU Boulder is also one of the top five schools for volunteers for the Peace Corps. The campus is run by the University of Colorado Student Government (CUSG). They oversee the University Student Union, the Recreation Center, the GLBTQ Resource Center, the Women’s Resource, and the Wardenburg Health Center. The longest running student organization is the Hiking Club, which was founded in 1919. Students can also get involved in the newspaper; the CU Independent. There are also many free activities on campus. The group, Program Council, holds concerts and shows movies for students.

The CU Boulder teams compete as the Buffaloes, and they participate in the NCAA Division I Big-12 Conference. Varsity teams compete in skiing, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, and football. CU Boulder has 30 club teams (one of the largest departments of its kind in the US); students can get involved in club sports like cycling, swimming and diving, and triathlon. Students interested in a campus focused on the outdoors and a large variety of extracurricular activities will enjoy CU Boulder.