Colorado State University is on the rise
Colorado State University is one of the nation’s top public Tier 1 Research universities and an institution on the rise. Our Ram success is driven by an ambition to be excellent in all we do combined with an unparalleled location that is one of the fastest-growing and most vibrant areas in the country.
CSU is a higher education destination for working and learning for faculty, staff, and students from across Colorado, the nation, and around the globe. In the past decade, CSU has built on all-time highs in enrollment and success, experienced record fundraising and research expenditures that keep hitting new highs year-after-year, and our faculty are known nationally and internationally for their groundbreaking research. Among other recognition for research and creative scholarship, CSU was recognized in 2022 as one of 10 top research institutions in the world contributing to solving the COVID pandemic.
CSU is thriving, with a five-year average enrollment of more than 33,400 students. The 2024 incoming class of 5,485 students is our second largest ever and included 31% from diverse populations and 23% who were first in their families to attend college. The Fort Collins campus had a total student headcount of 34,218 for 2024-25.
The average entering student’s academic profile remains strong, with a median high school GPA of 3.71. The University Honors Program added 586 students, a 50% increase.
CSU graduates find success with 85% securing a job related to their career plans within six months of graduation. More than nine out of 10 Rams would select CSU again, demonstrating the quality of the campus and learning environments.
33,648
student population in 2023
$498.1M
total research expenditures in FY2023
$1.6B
in campus infrastructure improvements since 2008
252,000
living alumni, with 142,000 in Colorado
LEADERSHIP
The leadership at Colorado State University has deep experience, an aligned commitment to success, and an entrepreneurial approach to strategic decision making in the pursuit of excellence in all areas of the University.
The Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System includes nine voting members who are appointed by the governor of Colorado. As an appointed board, members are aligned, decision-oriented, and actively promoting the success of CSU as a leading national public research institution. The CSU System includes three distinct institutions: CSU Pueblo, CSU Global, and the flagship Colorado State University with its main campus in Fort Collins and a presence in every county of Colorado as the state’s land-grant university.
Amy Parsons is the 16th president of Colorado State University. Prior to being named president and assuming the role in February 2023, Amy served in various senior executive leadership roles at CSU and the CSU System and combines her higher education experience with a private sector background. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from CSU and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado.
Her top priorities for CSU include student success; world-class academic and research programs; institutional competitiveness; outreach and impact around the state and world; and strengthening our democracy.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
For the 2024-25 academic year, we saw near-record enrollment in CSU’s incoming class while continuing to strengthen our commitment to first-generation students and to access for all. In recent years, CSU’s diversity and graduation rates have risen consistently. In 2022-23, there were over 7,700 degrees awarded, and 23% of these students identified as racially minoritized. Our land-grant heritage and commitment to access are still defining characteristics of our University.
Sustainability, scholarship are in our DNA
In 2024 Colorado State University once again demonstrated it is among the most sustainable higher education institutions in the world by earning a top-four ranking in the 2024 Sustainable Campus Index calculated by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. CSU has been in that top echelon of doctoral institutions for all 10 years of AASHE’s rankings. We were the first university in the world to earn a Platinum STARS rating, and we were the first in the world to be four-time Platinum rated. We were also one of the first institutions in the country to be designated as an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University by the APLU.
For the fourth year in a row, in 2025 Colorado State University was named one of the nation’s top producers of Fulbright U.S. Scholars — professionals, artists, and scholars who usually hold faculty appointments. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs annually announces the top-producing institutions for the Fulbright Program — the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program — in The Chronicle of Higher Education. CSU is the first higher education institution in Colorado to receive this honor four years in a row.
Demonstrated Success
CSU has worldwide appeal with students from more than 100 countries.
Committed to excellence, the university offers 74 undergraduate degree programs, 15 of which are also available online; 140 master’s degree programs, 42 of which are offered online; 65 doctoral programs, 4 of which are offered online; and 62 graduate certificates, 56 of which are offered online.
We have a student-to-faculty ratio of 17:1, which means that our extraordinary teachers in all disciplines interact with our students directly, whether in the classroom, the lab or the field. The total number of faculty has grown 11% in the past 10 years to keep pace with record enrollment.
We’ve directed our resources to our students by doubling institutionally funded financial aid during the past 10 years, peaking before a pandemic dip and now rebounding strongly. About 84% of first-time undergraduate students at CSU receive some type of financial assistance to pay for college.
Nearly 20% of undergraduate students qualify for the federal Pell Grant program, which for qualifying resident students can unlock the CSU Tuition Assistance Grant program that covers up to 100% of resident instruction tuition and fees. Since 2011, the need-based program has disbursed $180 million to about 21,000 Colorado students, half of them first-generation.
187
total majors (highest in the Mountain West)
5,000+
students participate in undergraduate
research opportunities every year
3.72
average GPA for incoming 2023-24 class
98%
increase in institutionally funded
financial aid during the past 10 years
CSU RANKS AMONG THE BEST
Colorado State is routinely highlighted in national rankings recognizing top universities and programs.
A top-ranked university in the Mountain West
Colorado State University is second only to San Diego State University among the Mountain West Conference schools ranked by U.S. News and World Report. CSU is No. 80 among public universities.
Top 1% of universities worldwide
The Center for World University Rankings has continuously placed CSU in the top 1% of universities worldwide. CSU ranked No. 258 out of more than 20,500 universities globally in the 2022-23 rankings, the largest academic ranking of global universities.
1 of 389 Best Colleges
CSU has been perennially highlighted in Princeton Review’s “The Best 389 Colleges,” including in 2024. In the 2024 edition, CSU students said Colorado State University is “an institution that is determined to engage and challenge its students, preparing them for post-graduate life beyond the university.”
Top public university
CSU was again featured among Forbes’ America’s Top Colleges in 2024. For quality of academics and professors, value, student-faculty ratio, quality of campus food and housing, diversity, safety, student life, and more, Niche gave CSU an A- grade for 2025. Niche also rated CSU in the top 7% for student life, top 14% for college food, top 15% for college athletics and top 20% for location. It ranked CSU among the top 11% of college campuses in America for outstanding resources, across classrooms, labs, performance venues, housing, food, and recreational facilities, based on student reviews and data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Top employer for women
CSU was the only higher ed institution in Colorado to be included on Forbes magazine’s 2024 list of “America’s Best Employers for Women.”
Top-ranked programs
In its 2025 graduate program rankings, U.S News & World Report ranked CSU’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Occupational Therapy Doctorate programs third in the nation.
SUSTAINABILITY
In 2024 Colorado State University once again demonstrated it is among the most sustainable higher education institutions in the world by earning a top-four ranking in the 2024 Sustainable Campus Index calculated by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. In 2015, Colorado State became the first university in the world to earn a Platinum STARS rating for sustainability performance, and we haven’t rested since.
CSU was tied for the best interdisciplinary sustainability curriculum among all institutions listed in the 2024 Sustainable Campus Index, a publication of AASHE. CSU has been ranked in the top four overall among doctoral institutions for 10 years in a row.
CSU is one of 40 higher education institutions to earn a perfect 99-out-of-99 score to make the 2024 Green College Honor Roll as ranked by The Princeton Review. In 2024, CSU enjoyed its 11th consecutive year with a perfect score.
AFFORDABILITY
In 2024, CSU was the only higher ed institution in Colorado appearing on a “Top Colleges for Affordability” list as part of a national ranking.
Top 6% in nation for faculty
CSU is in the top 6% of all colleges and universities for diverse, accomplished, and well-paid faculty members based on student reviews and key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education, according to 2025 rankings by Niche. Niche also ranked CSU in the top 17% among public universities in America. The rating was based on academic, admissions, financial and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education plus reviews from students and alumni.
PEACE CORPS
CSU ranks highly among the Peace Corps’ annual list of Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities. The 2025 list places CSU at No. 11 among large American colleges and universities. Colorado State has sent more than 1,770 volunteers since 1961, which is 11th among all-time sending institutions in the nation. The number of CSU alumni serving in the Peace Corps has averaged around 50 for the last five years.
4 out of 5 stars
CSU was listed on Money magazine’s “Best Colleges in America” for 2024, earning 4 out of 5 stars. CSU received the second-highest rating in the state, tied with Colorado College and trailing only the Colorado School of Mines.
Undergraduate Experience
More than 5,000 Colorado State students take part in undergraduate research opportunities every year, and the number of students involved in education abroad has increased 70% in the past five years. One in four CSU students have global experiences that provide a broader world perspective. Our first-year retention rate is 85%. The quality of our faculty and learning environments are at the core of this success, and we’ve invested in these areas despite restricted budgets — bucking the national trend and charging forward in the face of challenges.
Visit SOURCE, CSU’s news and information online publication, for stories, videos, podcasts and photographs produced by our news and communications teams that highlight faculty; undergraduate and graduate research; partnerships and academic achievements; faculty and student success; and global impacts, rankings and other accolades.
ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH
Colorado State University has strong and engaged alumni, friends, and fans. CSU has more than 258,000 alumni and is one of four institutions in the Mountain West Conference with an endowment of a half-billion dollars or more. Donors gave more than $21 million to scholarships in 2022-23. About 35% of scholarship recipients that year were first-generation college students, and between 2017 and 2022, scholarship recipients had a 90% graduation rate.
There are 55 CSU Extension offices that serve every county in Colorado, in addition to 18 Colorado State Forest Service State and Field offices .
34,847
number of donors who gave to CSU in 2023
$128.2M
total donations given in 2023
11,398
donors made a gift to CSU for the first time in 2023
$21.1M
was donated to scholarships in 2022-23
We Build for Success
Colorado State University has three campuses in Northern Colorado: main campus, south campus, and the Mountain Campus. We also have the CSU Spur campus in Denver, and our international campus, Todos Santos, in Mexico. We have built for success by charting a construction boom in recent years that added 4 million gross square feet to campus buildings in Fort Collins over more than a 10-year period through 2021. CSU invested more than $1.6 billion in two construction waves to add new buildings, classrooms, labs, and infrastructure, updating old buildings and collectively expanding academic, research, and multi-use space for our growing University. The buildings, the expansions, and the improvements demonstrate our commitment to our core mission of academics, research, teaching, and outreach.
$1.62B
invested
4.43M
square feet
45
projects
ATHLETICS
Colorado State University is well-established as one of the nation’s top public research universities, propelled by a steadfast commitment to excellence in all we do combined with an unparalleled location in one of the most vibrant regions in the country. Ram Athletics is part of this drive — on the move, on the rise, and headed to even greater success in the years ahead.
COMPETITIVE COMMITMENT
We have committed to playing by the same rules instituted by the Power 5 conferences — providing all allowable amenities and benefits for student-athletes, including paying the full cost of attendance.
Our University commitment to Athletics has increased 141% since 2010, from $25.35 million to $61.26 million in 2022. Total University commitment to Rams football has increased 278% since 2010, from $8.17 million to $30.92 million in 2022.
- We’re tied for the highest federal graduation rate in the Mountain West Conference.
- We’ve built an in-house Athletics video production unit to enhance recruiting, gameday experiences, and live game-streaming capabilities.
- We’ve added women’s soccer as a varsity program which enters its 10th season in 2023 with an eye to add additional women’s sports programs in the future.
- Colorado State is the anchor sports property on ESPN Radio, including live coverage for all football and men’s basketball games and select women’s games.
- Under Armour is the Rams’ official apparel provider.
GREEN AND GOLD GUARD
CSU’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective, The Green and Gold Guard serves to help ensure our student-athletes make the most of their time in Fort Collins. By assisting them in pursuing NIL opportunities, hosting experiential events with donors, ensuring they are prepared for life after sports, and driving deep and meaningful community engagement projects, we’re dedicated to setting the gold standard of NIL collectives with a focus on the full development of our young men and women at CSU.
COMPETITIVE FACILITIES
With the addition of the on-campus Canvas Stadium, CSU has in process or has already built more than a quarter of a billion dollars in athletic facilities upgrades in the past decade.
Moby Arena has been expanded and renovated, most recently with locker room upgrades ($7 million for men’s and women’s basketball). The entire Moby Complex is heated and cooled by one of the largest geothermal energy exchange projects west of the Mississippi. The $20 million GeoX project was installed in 2021. The $7 million, 16,000-square-foot Anderson Academic Training Center opened in 2009 and is a centerpiece of CSU’s commitment to student-athletes, with a state-of-the-art weight room, strength and conditioning offices, a computer lab, study areas, and a nutrition center.
CSU’s $13-million, LEED-Gold certified, 66,267-square-foot indoor Practice Facility is designed for use by multiple sports.
BASKETBALL
Men’s basketball has emerged as a consistent 20-win team and postseason participant under head coach Niko Medved including an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023-24 and a top 25 ranking.
Women’s basketball is led by point guard McKenna Hofschild, finalist for the 2023 Nancy Lieberman Award, AP All-American honorable mention, and Mountain west player of the year. Colorado State women’s basketball has seen great success under head coach Ryun Williams, who entered his 12th season with the Rams and his 25th overall as a collegiate head coach in 2023-24.
WINNING PROGRAMS
- We have produced 21 NFL draft picks since 2000.
- Women’s volleyball has won the regular season Mountain West Conference Championship six of the last nine years: 2014-16 and 2017-22.
- Women’s indoor track and field has won the Mountain West Conference Championship five of the last nine years: 2015-17, 2018-19, and 2021-23.
- Women’s outdoor track and field has won the Mountain West Conference Championship three of the last seven years: 2014-16 and 2018-19.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
- 201 Rams earned Mountain West Academic All-Conference recognition for achieving a grade-point average of 3.0 or better while competing in at least 50% of their teams’ varsity contests during the year.
- 161 Rams earned Mountain West Scholar-Athlete awards for achieving a grade-point average of 3.5 or better while utilizing a season of competition (competing in at least one contest), 12 of which earned a 4.0 GPA.
YOU CAN GET TO CSU
Colorado State University is in the heart of Fort Collins in Northern Colorado, an hour north of Denver along Colorado’s picturesque Front Range. With quick access to major highways, Denver International Airport (DIA), and ample lodging and entertainment venues, visiting CSU and Fort Collins is easy and enjoyable.
1 Hour
drive time from DIA to Fort Collins
#3 Globally
DIA had more than 69 million passengers travel through the airport in 2022, making it the third busiest airport in the world.
Airport service to Denver or Fort Collins
Denver International Airport
DEN is one of the busiest airline hubs in the world’s largest aviation market. With more than 20 airlines, Denver International Airport (DEN) is the third busiest airport in the world, topped only by Atlanta (ATL) and Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW).
Fort Collins–Loveland Municipal Airport
FORT COLLINS-LOVELAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (FNL) is a vibrant regional transportation center just 15 miles from Colorado State University. Charters can fly directly into and out of the airport. An FAA-certified commercial airport, FNL serves users ranging from single-seat, privately-owned aircraft to 170-passenger commercial airliners.