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 just over 31,000 undergraduate and 6,000 graduate students, there are plenty of opportunities for extracurricular activities.

The student to faculty ratio for undergrads is nearly 18 to 1. Just less than half (44%) of the classes have fewer than 20 students. There are over 3,600 academic courses and 50 majors 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.

Many students choose to participate in one of over 400 CU Boulder study abroad programs. They can travel to 65 countries. About 1,000 students participate every year. There are more than 300 student-run organizations on campus, in addition to 20 officially recognized Greek groups. About 12% of the male population is affiliated with a fraternity and 22% of women with a sorority.

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 Pac-12 Conference. Varsity teams compete in skiing, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, and football. CU Boulder has over 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.