Colorado State University is transforming lives, solving problems, driving economic vitality, and addressing some of the world’s greatest challenges.

• At CSU, students learn from some of the top scholars in their fields and assist directly with cutting-edge research and in top-quality programs that are consistently ranked among the best in the world by a variety of experts and sources.
• U.S. News and World Report ranked CSU as one of top colleges in 2011, and consistently ranks the veterinary medicine program among the nation’s top three.
• CSU is ranked one of the 2011 “100 Best Values in Public Colleges” by Kiplinger’s, a measure that combines academic quality and affordability.
• The Princeton Review ranked CSU one of the best institutions for undergraduate education and one of the 120 “Best in the West.” CSU also ranks among the “greenest” public universities.
• CSU was named a “Military-Friendly School” by G.I. Jobs Magazine, and is among the top 15 percent nationwide.
• With annual research expenditures of more than $300 million, the NSF shows research funding for CSU second in the nation among public research universities without a medical school. On a per-faculty basis, CSU ranks first in federally funded research and development among all public institutions.
• These grants drive life-changing research and provide students unsurpassed hands-on opportunities to work on cutting-edge projects and technologies.
• With more than 250 academic majors and programs to explore, an engines laboratory that Popular Science calls “almost too much fun for credit,” the largest solar plant at a U.S. university and alumni that contribute $4 billion to the state’s economy, CSU is making a difference throughout Colorado, across the country and the world.
• CSU’s land-grant mission of education, discovery and engagement extends to all areas of the state and beyond — with an international reputation for cutting-edge research, academic excellence, and accessibility.

Facts about tuition

• Tuition will be going up next year, due to significant reductions in state funding. CSU leadership believe these increases present the best path forward to preserving the quality of a CSU education and degree.
• CSU remains among the most affordable universities among its in- and out-of-state peers, well below the average tuition of peer institutions, more than $1,300 less than CU-Boulder and over $5,200 less than the Colorado School of Mines.
• CSU has a strong commitment to provide financial aid to ensure opportunities for all qualified students. Financial aid is the largest discretionary portion of CSU’s budget, with $4.7 million added this year.
• Current average debt of about $20,000 for CSU graduates ($19,864) is $3,000 less than the national average. You wouldn’t blink at this amount when buying a car that loses its value over time, but a college degree stays with you for life and on average earns you $1 million more during your career.
• The university does a good job of controlling its costs while staying focused on academic excellence. CSU today educates a student for 4 percent less in inflation-adjusted dollars than it did 20 years ago.
• 20 years ago, two-thirds of the cost of a CSU education was paid for by the state. Today, that ratio has flipped — individual students and their families pay for two-thirds of the cost, with the state paying one-third.
• To reduce the impact of cuts, CSU employees have received no salary increase for three years — and cut more than 300 positions (about six percent of the total CSU workforce).
• The average Colorado family making $100,000 will pay about $365 in taxes per year to fund higher education in Colorado – compared to $1,400 for K-12 education, $990 for health care and human services, and $450 for corrections and the judicial system.*
• The State of Colorado collects those taxes and invests about $519 million every year in state-appropriated funds to operate all of the state’s community college, state colleges, and research universities – serving hundreds of thousands of students in all parts of the state. Since Colorado families contribute to funding this system with their tax dollars, they get a discount on tuition compared to what out-of-state students pay.

*Source: Colorado Department of the Treasury, Colorado Tax Tracks.