Thinking of studying in Colorado? Ranking as the 5th most educated state and one of the best states to live in the United States, Colorado is one of the best options for the next step in your academic journey. The University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Colorado Denver are two non-profit universities that come together under the University of Colorado system. Although sharing some similarities in their system, these two universities differ from each other in a lot of ways. Seemingly similar, ask any student and they’ll not hesitate to tell their beloved campus apart! Read this article to further find out what sets these two top universities apart. Let’s find out which is better, The University Of Colorado Boulder Or The University Of Colorado Denver?
CU Boulder is deemed the flagship university amongst the other universities in the University of Colorado system and offers a diverse variety of study programs. CU Boulder stands out as the better choice for the next step in your career with a multitude of advantages over its counterpart – dormitories, a much bigger campus, and specialized academic buildings. For a student, The University of Colorado’s Boulder campus acts as the better, more preferable choice over its Denver campus.
The University Of Colorado Boulder Or The University Of Colorado Denver?
Judging by location, city size, tuition costs, graduation rate, acceptance rate, environment, and other campus characteristics, we’ve selected the best points to help you choose between the prestigious universities:
Graduation Rate:
University of Colorado’s Boulder campus located in the small city of Boulder boasts a higher graduation rate of around 69% while the Denver Campus set in the comparatively large city of Denver holds a Graduation Rate of just around 58%.
Tuition Costs:
Although far from being inaccessible, CU Boulder comes in as the more expensive option with its tuition coming in at around $12,000 while CU Denver is the cheaper option with the tuition costing around $9,000.
Acceptance Rate:
The University of Colorado Boulder gives its applicants a higher Acceptance Rate, with 84% of its applications being accepted. The University of Colorado Denver accepts fewer applications at a 66% Acceptance Rate.
Location:
Judging by location, Boulder is one of the top ten cities in the USA for Science and Health and is famous for its educational prospects. On the other hand, Denver is more famed for its entertainment and nightlife.
University Status:
CU Boulder is a huge public university; CU Denver is a much smaller public university.
Living Costs:
Boulder also comes in as a more expensive city to live in with room and board easily setting you back 15k USD. Denver comes in close with room and board costing you an estimated 14k USD.
Grant Aid:
About 64% of students in UC Boulder are receiving Grant Aid. The Denver campus has a much higher percentage of students receiving Grant Aid at 80%.
Campus Size:
CU Boulder provides its students with a large campus area of 600 acres. CU Denver has a much smaller campus size of around 125 acres.
Campus Buildings:
Taking advantage of its big campus size, CU Boulder has a lot more specialized academic buildings ranging from Art Galleries, an Outdoor Theater, a Concert Hall, a Mountain Research Station, and their very own Natural History Museum among many more such buildings. CU Denver boasts its very own Emmanuel Art Gallery, a non-profit art gallery.
Dormitories:
CU Denver is classified as a commuter campus – its campus doesn’t allow for students to stay on campus as there are no dorms available. If you are looking to stay on campus, perhaps you will be much better suited to the University of Colorado’s Boulder campus allowing for Graduate and Undergraduate housing ranging from small studio apartment rooms to three-bedroom houses. Both colleges have a good off-campus housing environment for students looking to live nearer to the college at a cheaper rate.
Programs:
The University of Colorado Denver has recently started offering specialized programs like a course in Bioengineering, which no other university in the state offers as of 2022. CU Denver also offers top-ranking Medicine, Nursing, Human Development, Public Affairs, and Pediatric programs. The University of Colorado’s Boulder campus is more renowned for its Computer Science, Business & Marketing, Engineering, and Physical Science programs. CU Boulder’s atomic/molecular/optical physics program ranks no.1 in the United States.
Famous Alumni:
Historically, CU Boulder has been proven to churn out famous and successful graduates – think Kalpana Chawla and Steve Wozniak. University of Colorado Boulder’s badge of honor is its Five Nobel Laureates, with four of them being in the field of Physics and one in Chemistry itself. CU Denver has its own set of famous alumni including the Grammy-nominated artist Illenium and Daniel Gilbert – A well-known American psychologist.
Conclusion
We hope we have made it easier for you to choose between The University of Colorado’s two campuses with the facts stated above. Both are very reputable campuses of the venerable University of Colorado system. CU Boulder is a tad bit more expensive, in turn, it upholds higher standards and provides an appreciably better quality of education. Even though CU Boulder stands out as the better option when compared to CU Denver, pick one that best suits your needs and your budget to give your career the best start it needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the University of Colorado Boulder cheaper than the University of Colorado Denver?
No, CU Denver is the cheaper option.
- How do I apply to the University of Colorado Boulder or the University of Colorado Denver?
For CU Boulder, Head right over to CU Boulder’s official website, click on the ‘Admissions’ tab then click on the Apply Now button, create an account and follow the process.
For CU Denver, go to CU Denver’s official website, then click on the Apply Now tab on the upper right, you will be required to create an account, create one and follow the process.
- How do CU Boulder and CU Denver prevent Covid-19 on campus?
Both universities encourage the students to get vaccinated and wear masks. The university is adamant about following all Covid-19 protocols to ensure the safety of its faculty and students even in 2022.
