University of Colorado Boulder
Academics

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How strong are the academics at University of Colorado Boulder?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

19:1
Student to faculty ratio
34
Average class size
58%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

CU Boulder has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 19:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
272
10-19
1,170
20-29
799
30-39
441
40-49
218
50-99
384
100+
282

Honors Programs

University of Colorado Boulder has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on CU Boulder's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at University of Colorado Boulder:

89%
First-year retention rate
58%
4-year grad rate
75%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are University of Colorado Boulder's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Business Administration and Management, General
Psychology, General
Computer Science
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
219.4
404.92
590.44
775.96
961.48
1147

The Full List

Major Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
  • Environmental Design/Architecture 137
Area
  • Ethnic Studies 14
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies 14
  • Women's Studies 10
  • Women's Studies 9
  • Russian Studies 6
  • Ethnic Studies 5
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies 5
  • Asian Studies/Civilization 4
  • Russian Studies 1
  • Asian Studies/Civilization 1
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Physiology, General 333
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 158
  • Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology 122
  • Neuroscience 82
  • Biochemistry 55
  • Neuroscience 51
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 17
  • Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology 11
  • Biochemistry 5
  • Physiology, General 4
Business
  • Business Administration and Management, General 1147
Communication
  • Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication 374
  • Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication 374
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 152
  • Journalism 87
  • Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia 65
  • Mass Communication/Media Studies 35
  • Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia 4
  • Journalism 2
  • Mass Communication/Media Studies 2
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 2
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 383
  • Information Science/Studies 51
  • Computer Science 3
Education
  • Elementary Education and Teaching 57
  • Music Teacher Education 12
  • Secondary Education and Teaching 0
  • Education, General 0
Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering 283
  • Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General 206
  • Civil Engineering, General 69
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 58
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering 54
  • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 51
  • Biochemical Engineering 48
  • Chemical Engineering 43
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 39
  • Engineering, General 34
  • Architectural Engineering 30
  • Engineering Physics/Applied Physics 23
  • Biological/Biosystems Engineering 0
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
  • Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General 63
  • Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General 63
  • ENGINEERING/ENGINEERING-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS 63
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 91
  • English Language and Literature, General 8
Foreign Languages
  • Spanish Language and Literature 20
  • Linguistics 17
  • Spanish Language and Literature 11
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 9
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 9
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 7
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 7
  • French Language and Literature 7
  • Japanese Language and Literature 5
  • Linguistics 5
  • French Language and Literature 5
  • Chinese Language and Literature 4
  • Chinese Language and Literature 4
  • Japanese Language and Literature 4
  • Italian Language and Literature 2
  • Italian Language and Literature 1
  • Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 1
  • Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 1
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 53
  • Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 7
  • Public Health, General 0
History
  • History, General 56
  • History, General 12
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Humanities/Humanistic Studies 13
  • General Studies 8
  • Humanities/Humanistic Studies 2
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 45
  • Mathematics, General 28
  • Applied Mathematics, General 26
  • Statistics, General 17
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • International/Globalization Studies 99
  • Geography and Environmental Studies 28
  • Geography and Environmental Studies 13
  • International/Globalization Studies 8
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 0
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 0
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Studies 180
  • Environmental Studies 11
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 51
  • Philosophy 18
  • Religion/Religious Studies 2
  • Religion/Religious Studies 1
  • Jewish/Judaic Studies 1
Physical Sciences
  • Astronomy 62
  • Physics, General 56
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 24
  • Chemistry, General 23
  • Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General 16
  • Physics, General 7
  • Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General 1
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 1
  • Chemistry, General 1
  • Astronomy 1
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 614
  • Psychology, General 46
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Community Organization and Advocacy 11
Social Sciences
  • Political Science and Government, General 212
  • Economics, General 188
  • Sociology, General 144
  • Anthropology, General 53
  • Sociology, General 37
  • Political Science and Government, General 14
  • Economics, General 12
  • Anthropology, General 10
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 89
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 58
  • Music Performance, General 49
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 22
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 11
  • Music, General 9
  • Dance, General 8
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 5
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 2
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 2
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 1
  • Dance, General 1
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