University of Colorado--Boulder is a public institution that was founded in 1876. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 25,805, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 600 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Colorado--Boulder's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 86. Its in-state tuition and fees are $10,240 (2013-14); out-of-state tuition and fees are $32,008 (2013-14).
The University of Colorado at Boulder, called CU--Boulder for short, lays against the majestic backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. Boulder is a lively college town with more than 80 miles of biking and walking trails. In the evenings, students can travel anywhere within the city limits for free in CU NightRide shuttles, which run until 1:15 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 12:15 a.m. all other nights. On campus, there are more than 300 student clubs and organizations, and close to 40 fraternities and sororities. Freshmen must live on campus. The Colorado Buffaloes will compete in the NCAA Division I Pac-12 Conference starting in the fall of 2011, after a long stint in the Big 12 Conference. The student athletes, called Buffs for short, are supported by two buffalo mascots: a costumed student called Chip and a live animal named Ralphie IV. The university stresses its commitment to volunteer efforts like Better Boulder Better World, a day of community service in the surrounding neighborhoods. For trips off campus, there are 11 ski slopes within 3 hours of campus, and Rocky Mountain National Park is 45 miles away. A bit closer is Denver, the state capital, where students can catch professional sports matches or concerts in the unique outdoor concert hall, Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
CU--Boulder is the only school in the Rocky Mountain Region to make it into the Association of American Universities, an elite group of 34 research universities. The university has highly ranked graduate programs through the College of Engineering and Applied Science and School of Education. Its Law School stresses experiential learning through clinics, externships, competitions, and mandatory pro bono work. CU--Boulder graduates are immediately inducted into the dues-free alumni association, Forever Buffs, whose particularly distinguished members include South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and ESPN sportscasters Chris Fowler and Jim Gray.