QS Top Universities: Schools

University of Colorado, Boulder
The University of Colorado at Boulder, a major research and teaching university, enjoys a spectacular environment at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, with over 300 days of sunshine annually. CU-Boulder faculty members bring their research into the classroom in areas such as physics, space sciences, and the American West. Students participate in 200 CU-Boulder sponsored study abroad programs, honors programs, undergraduate research, service learning courses—combining community service with instruction, and several residential academic programs. Students from diverse backgrounds may also receive financial, personal, and academic support through one of the CU-Lead (leadership, excellence, achievement, and diversity) alliance programs housed in various colleges and departments. CU-Boulder students come from every state and more than 100 countries, which enriches campus life with a variety of cultures and perspectives. Student government, clubs, indoor and outdoor recreation, volunteer work, and the arts are just some of the activities available.

Faculty

Number of Faculty Staff	FTE: 6,179
Total number of academic faculty staff who are responsible for planning, directing and undertaking teaching only, research only or both teaching and research. Please include: vice-chancellors, deputy vice-chancellors, principals, professors, heads of school, associate professors, principal lecturers and tutors. Please exclude research assistants, PhD students who contribute to teaching, and exchange scholars or visiting professors who are members of another university. FAQ: How is research assistant defined?
Number of International Faculty Staff	Headcount: 249
Number of academic faculty staff who are of foreign nationality. The term ‘international’ is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even if from another EU state. In Hong Kong, this includes professors from Mainland China. Inclusion and exclusion mirrors those for academic faculty staff.

Undergraduate Information

Number of Undergraduate Students	Headcount: 45,485 FTE: 33,247
Number of students pursuing a Bachelor’s level or equivalent degree. This excludes certificates/diplomas and associate’s degrees.
Number of International Undergraduate Students	Headcount: 592 FTE: 530
Number of undergraduate students who are foreign nationals. The term ‘international’ is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even nationals of other EU states. In Hong Kong, this includes students from Mainland China. Please exclude all exchange students.

Graduate / Postgraduate Information

Number of Graduate / Postgraduate Students	Headcount: 18,355 FTE: 7,438
Students pursuing a higher-level degree (Master and Doctorate), including both taught and research postgraduates (e.g. PhD students)
Number of International Graduate Students	Headcount: 1,262 FTE: 736
Number of graduate / postgraduate students who are foreign nationals. The term ‘international’ is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even nationals of other EU states. In Hong Kong, this includes students from Mainland China.
Average Domestic Graduate / Postgraduate Fees	$ USD 20,592
Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that a domestic student would be expected to pay for a graduate / postgraduate program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees?

Students

Total Students	Headcount: 28,143 FTE: 13,776
Total number of students.
Total International Students	Headcount: 841
Number of students who are foreign nationals. The term ‘international’ is hereby determined by citizenship. For EU countries, this includes all foreign nationals, even nationals of other EU states. In Hong Kong, this includes students from Mainland China.
Average Domestic Student Fees	$ USD 20,592
Average tuition fees per academic year (two semesters) that a domestic student would be expected to pay for any program, with ‘program’ referring to the complete range of courses contributing to a degree. FAQ: How do I calculate average fees?

Graduate Output

Number of PhDs Awarded	115
Total number of PhDs awarded in the last 12 months

Main claims to international academic or non-academic excellence

The university has a proud academic tradition, with four Nobel laureates in the sciences, seven MacArthur “genius grant” recipients, 94 Fulbright scholars since 1982, and more than 50 combined members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Education, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Sciences. Several CU-Boulder research faculty from the National Snow and Ice data center shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore for their contributions to the international report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. CU-Boulder was ranked 34th among the world’s universities, both public and private, in a 2007 survey by the Institute for Higher Education at Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China. The university produced 94 Peace Corps volunteers in 2008, the third most among all U.S. colleges and universities.

Range of Fees

Tuition charged is affected by residency status, degree, and number of credit hours. For in-state (Colorado resident) students enrolled full-time, average tuition (plus mandatory student fees) per academic year (two semesters) ranges from $7,278 (College of Arts and Sciences) to $10,806 (Leeds School of Business). For international and other out-of-state (non-resident) students enrolled full-time, average tuition (plus mandatory student fees) per academic year (two semesters) ranges from $26,756 (College of Arts and Sciences) to $29,956 (Leeds School of Business). For more complete information on fall08/spring09 tuition fees, please see http://www.colorado.edu/bursar/now/tuitfeebill.html.

Basic TOEFL/IELTS requirements

Minimum required TOEFL scores for Undergraduate Majors: Engineering majors 560 (220 equivalent score based on the computer-administered TOEFL; 83 on the internet based TOEFL). All other majors 500 (173 equivalent score based on the computer-administered TOEFL; 61 on the internet based TOEFL).

Accommodation

Freshman students are required to live in a university residence hall for two academic-year semesters, but this policy is subject to availability of space. Residence halls at CU-Boulder feature a variety of floor plans, social activities, and academic services. Each of our 21 residence halls has a unique character, and several offer special residential academic programs. All halls have direct, Internet access via ethernet connections and most have wireless environments. For more information about housing and dining options, please see http://housing.colorado.edu/ and, of particular interest to international students, http://www.colorado.edu/prospective/international/aboutcu.html.

Accommodation Range

On-campus expenses for dormitory housing: $4,930 per semester for a double room and $5,681 per semester for a single room; costs include 19 meals per week. The university also offers a variety of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom furnished and unfurnished apartments for student families. Only students and members of their immediate families may reside here. Rates range from $566/month to $1199/month. For more information, please see http://housing.colorado.edu/fh/index.cfm. Off-campus housing expenses vary greatly depending on location, size and type of accomodations, and number of people sharing a house or apartment.

Entry Requirements

Please see http://www.colorado.edu/prospective/freshman/admission/criteria.html for admission criteria.

Language Support

The International English Center at CU-Boulder helps advance the mission of the university through English language training, orientation to university customs, academic preparation, and an introduction to life in the United States. Please see http://www.colorado.edu/iec/index.html for more information.

Non-English Language Requirements

Students applying for undergraduate admission to the University of Colorado at Boulder are expected to have completed courses that meet certain minimum academic preparation standards (MAPS) before enrolling at CU-Boulder. Included in the MAPS is a foreign-language requirement. Applicants to the College of Arts and Sciences or the Leeds School of Business must have three units of a single foreign language; applicants to the College of Engineering and Applied Science must have three units of a single foreign language or 2 units in each of 2 separate foreign languages; and applicants to the College of Architecture and Planning must have two units of a single foreign language. Any MAPS deficiency will be considered during the admission review process. Students may be admitted to CU-Boulder even though they have not met all the MAPS requirements. If that is the case, they are required to complete the appropriate MAPS courses once enrolled, and the credits may be applied toward graduation. All MAPS deficiencies must be completed prior to graduation from CU-Boulder. Students may also complete missing MAPS course work in high school, at other colleges or universities, through approved credit-by-examination programs, or by testing out through the appropriate foreign language department.