In order to provide educational services, all colleges in Colorado must be evaluated by the Colorado Department of Higher Education. This board is responsible for organizing resources as well as state policies for the 136 colleges and universities in Colorado. It also provides services to Colorado residents through its efforts to make higher education in the state as accessible and affordable as possible. To that end, the board engages in such activities as organizing financial aid resources and encouraging the pursuit of higher education through community outreach.
Accredited Colleges & Universities in ColoradoColorado is home to 41 four-year universities and colleges. The largest universities and colleges in Colorado are the University of Colorado and Colorado State University, which both have enrollments of more than 30,000 students according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Some of the top colleges in Colorado, however, are the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) and the Colorado School of Mines. The USAFA was established in 1954 and is a public college. As one might expect, USAFA requires students to undergo intensive military training on top of academic training. The college is highly regarded, as is apparent by U.S. News & World Report's ranking USAFA No. 31 among the best liberal arts colleges in the nation. The Colorado School of Mines, on the other hand, was founded in 1874 and is a public institution located in Golden. It is best known as a school those interested in engineering or applied sciences attend and is ranked No. 77 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
Colorado is a member of the 15-state member Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), which works to encourage interstate collaboration to increase residents' participation in postsecondary education in member states. As such, Colorado is one WICHE state that participates in the Internet Course Exchange (ICE), a program which makes it possible for students to take online courses unavailable at their school from in and out-of-state WICHE partners. Meanwhile, colleges in Colorado have taken matters in their own hands by offering online course and degree programs to make higher education available to residents. For instance, the Univeristy of Colorado has one of the state's broadest selection of online courses and degrees for distance learners.
Accredited Community Colleges in ColoradoThere are 75 community and technical colleges in Colorado, the largest of which are Front Range Community College (FRCC) and Pikes Peak Community College (PPCC). Many initiatives have been enacted in Colorado to take advantage of the fact that community colleges are a less expensive academic route, and thus an academic area that can be altered to increase residents' education levels in the state. One such initiative is the College and Career Navigation Initiative, which aims to align the goals of the state's workforce, education, and career goals. In doing so, it is hoped that the initiative will result in enabling and encouraging residents to not only enroll in higher education programs, but graduate with skills necessary for today's job market.
Universities:
- Colorado Christian University - Lakewood
- Colorado State University - Fort Collins
- Colorado Technical University - Denver
- Jones International University
- National Technological University - Fort Collins
- Regis University
- United States Air Force Academy
- University of Colorado at Boulder
- University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
- University of Colorado at Denver
- University of Colorado System
- University of Denver
- University of Northern Colorado
- University of Southern Colorado - Pueblo
Colleges:
- Adams State College
- Colorado College
- Colorado Mountain College
- Colorado School of Mines - Golden
- Everest College - Colorado Springs
- Fort Lewis College
- Mesa State College
- Metropolitan State College of Denver
- Nazarene Bible College - Colorado Springs
- Parks College - Denver
- The Art Institute of Colorado - Denver
- Western State College of Colorado - Gunnison
Community Colleges:
- Aims Community College
- Arapahoe Community College
- Colorado Electronic Community College
- Colorado Northwestern Community College
- Community College of Aurora
- Community College of Denver
- Front Range Community College
- Lamar Community College
- Morgan Community College
- Northeastern Junior College - Sterling
- Otero Junior College
- Pikes Peak Community College
- Pueblo Community College
- Red Rocks Community College
- Trinidad State Junior College