Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university’s roots go back to 1879 when the CSU opened its doors for the first time with the Agricultural College of Colorado. Initially started with only two faculty members, the university now comprises about 2,050 faculty members (both full and part-time) and 33,000+ students. In the past 4 years, the university has been funded with almost 400 million USD, from students and alumni, to help the university reach further heights.

Being recognized as one of the top research universities in the US, CSU is known to be a leader in cancer research, atmospheric science, animal science, climate change, forest and wildlife management, and engineering. With 2,102 students from around 110 countries, around 6% of international students are granted admission at CSU, China being the major contributor.

Colorado State University Rankings

Colorado State University has maintained its position among the top universities in the US over years and is also placed among the top 500 universities in the world. It made it to many ranking lists of known ranking agencies such as U.S News, Times Higher Education ranking, CWUR, QS ranking, and ARWU.

Fort Collins: World Rankings 2023

Ranking Agency 2023
QS Ranking  443
THE 401-500
CWUR 252
AWUR To be released

Fort Collins: National Rankings 2023

  • Ranked 153th in National Universities - U.S News & Report 2023
  • Ranked 351st in US Rankings - THE Ranking 2023
  • Ranked 87th in National rankings - CWUR 2023
  • Ranked 85th for Top Public Universities in America - Niche 2023

Highlights

College Type Public
Campus Setting Urban
Annual Endowment 376 million USD
Student Retention rate 83%
Total Enrollment 33,694
Student to faculty ratio 18:1
Work-Study program Yes
Mode of program Full-time, Part-time, Online
English Language Proficiency score TOEFL or IELTS Scores
Standardized Test Requirements SAT/ACT
Financial Aid Available as grants, loans, scholarships or work-study
Admission Helpdesk international.admissions@colostate.edu
Official Website colostate.edu

Colorado State University Campus

  • Colorado State University campuses are located at 5 places, spread across 4733 acres.
  • Located at the western edge of the Great Plains in northern Colorado, Fort Collins has been ranked as one of the Best Places to Live.
  • CSU has 705 buildings which include 3,295 classrooms and 1,237 laboratories spreading across 10,434,578 gross square feet.
  • The campus includes veterinarian hospitals, mountain campus and it's main campus which is the oval.
  • More than 5,000 students decide to reside at the college campus itself.
  • There are more than 500 registered student organizations running at CSU.
  • There are many student Diversity Programs and Services to which a student can contribute to.

Colorado State University Residence

  • There are 15 residential halls spread across the CSU’s campus.
  • The student division for the residence halls is on the basis of their course, program type, or their year of study.
  • CSU accommodates more than 96% of freshmen (since the freshmen are expected to live in on-campus hostels for at least two semesters) and 30% of total undergraduates.
  • Apart from the residential halls, Colorado State University also includes apartments, providing comfortable hostel accommodation to the students.
  • There are various Residential Learning communities for students living on-campus, which they can join.
  • Some of these communities are on Outdoor Leadership, Natural Resources & Sustainability, etc.
  • The rates to different types of rooms which suits the student’s requirements, across different residence halls, varies diversely.

Colorado State University Programs

  • Colorado State University consists of 8 colleges, offering courses in the fields of Agricultural Sciences, Business, Health & Human Sciences, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Natural Sciences, Veterinary Sciences & Biomedical Sciences, and Natural Resources.
  • Among over 300 academic programs offered by CSU, over 70 majors and 80 minors options are available for students to pursue.
  • CSU has courses for undergraduates and graduates.
  • They also have research programs and online programs for students to pursue.
  • It offers programs through the following colleges:
    • Agricultural Sciences
    • Business
    • Health and Human Sciences
    • Liberal Arts
    • Morgan Library
    • Natural Sciences
    • Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
    • Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering
    • Warner College of Natural Resources
  • The top programs offered by the University are Business Management, Marketing, Biological and Medical Sciences, Engineering, Social Sciences; Leisure, and Fitness Studies. 

Application Process at Colorado State University

International candidates who are seeking admissions in Colorado State University can head over to the university’s official website for a complete list of requirements. UG and PG requirements are given below:

Undergraduate Applications

  • Application Portal: CSU Application or Common Application
  • Application Fee: 50 USD non-refundable
  • Application Deadline
Important dates Fall term Spring Term
Early action deadline December 1 -
Get review by December 31 -
Regular decision deadline February 1 November 1
Get review by February 28 -

Graduate Applications

  • Before starting with the Post Graduate Program Applications, it’s important to go through specific-course requirements.
    • Application Portal: CSU Application
    • Application Fee:
      • 70 USD non-refundable (Degree Program)
      • 60 USD non-refundable (Certificate program)
    • Supporting Documents:
    • English Language Proficiency Test Score report
    • Scores of GRE/GMAT 
    • Official Transcripts, translated in English
    • At least 3 Letter of Recommendations (varies from course to course)

Colorado State University Cost of Attendance

  • The cost of attendance for students attending Colorado State University is calculated by adding the tuition fees, housing and meals, books and supplies, transportation, and other educational costs.
  • The approximate cost of attendance for Undergraduate and Graduate International students, living off-campus is estimated below:
Type of fee Undergraduate (USD) Graduate (USD)
Tuition & General Fees 31,712 30,858
Housing & Meals 11,440 11,440
Books & Supplies 1,200 720
Transportation 1,826 1,826
Other Educational Costs 1,790 1,922
Total 47,968 46,766

Scholarships by Colorado State University

  • Colorado State University aids its students in forms of grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study to reduce their cost of education in the US.
  • There are some scholarships which need a separate application and there are others that are based on the admission application itself.
  • Scholarships that are based on admission application are:
    • Presidential, Provost's, Dean's, and Academic Recognition Scholarships
      • 40,000-20,000 USD awarded to merit scholars
    • Honors Scholarship
    • Partnership Award
  • Students can also apply for scholarships who have an edge in co-curricular activities and arts. Scholarships that require a separate application include:
    • Creative and Performing Arts Award
    • Colorado State University Scholarship Application (CSUSA) Deadline: March 1

Alumni

  • The university’s alumni membership benefits include:
    • Volunteering Opportunities
    • Alumni E-newsletter
    • Alumni Business Directory
    • Virtual learning and engagement opportunities
    • Alumni exclusive resources
  • Some notable alumni from Colorado University include:
    • Yusef Komunyakaa - World-renowned poet who teaches at the New York University and is a member of Southern Writer Fellowship
    • Leslie Jones - Comedian and actress who was on the cast of Saturday Night Live.
    • Becky Hammon - First female full-time assistant coach in NBA history to coach NBA Summer League team and NBA All-Star Game.
    • Amy Van Dyken - Former competitive swimmer, Olympic champion, former world record holder and national radio sports talk show co-host.

Placement at Colorado State University

84% of the students who graduated from Colorado State University secured employment or continued with higher studies within 6 months of graduation. Graduates from CSU earn 49,000 USD which is much more than the national earning average.

A glance at Colorado State University-Fort Collins graduates and alumni working as professionals in various sectors along with their average salary/year as per payscale.com can be seen here:

Job Position Average Salary (USD)
Software Engineer 82,000
Project Manager, (Unspecified Type / General) 78,000
Project Engineer 66,000
Mechanical Engineer 70,000
Veterinarian 85,000
Civil Engineer 67,000

83% of the graduates are employed in a profession that is related to the field of their study. Target, Arrow Electronics, Blue Horseshoe are some of the Career Centre Recruiting partners with the Colorado State University.

FAQs

Ques. What programs does CSU Fort Collins offer?

Ans. Colorado offers more than 250 academic programs including undergraduate programs, graduate programs, online programs, certificates, research, and combined degree programs through its eight colleges and schools in the fields of Agriculture, Business, Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts, and more.

Ques. Is Colorado State University reputable?

Ans. Yes. Colorado State University ranked among the top 450 universities in the world, according to QS Ranking.

Ques. What is the average salary for Colorado State University graduates?

Ans. According to PayScale the average salary for Colorado State University (CSU) Graduates is USD 68,491 per year.

Ques. What are the most popular programs at Fort Collins?

Ans. The top programs offered by the University are Business Management, Marketing, Biological and Medical Sciences, Engineering, Social Sciences; Leisure, and Fitness Studies.

Ques. What is Colorado State University known for?

Ans. It is known for its excellent education and groundbreaking research driven by a highly productive faculty.

Ques. Does Colorado State University - Fort Collins offer scholarships to international students?

Ans. Yes, international students are considered for various scholarships while evaluating the applications on a meri basis.

Ques. Does Colorado State University help students with placement services?

Ans. University has a career center that helps students in career exploration, networking, resume & cover letter, job, and internship search, interviewing, salary negotiation, campus employment and maintains campus services network.