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Golden, CO · Public · 6,155 undergraduates · suburban

Colorado School of Mines

Moderately selective

Mines is a deliberately specialized university for students who want engineering and applied science to dominate the academic environment.

Institutional profile

Well established Exceptional in career outcomes, and solid in academic standing.
Academic Solid Affordability Solid Career Exceptional Mobility Steady Experience Steady
Academic standing Solid
Affordability Solid
Career outcomes Exceptional
Mobility Steady
Student experience Steady
Admission
59.7% admitted

9,821 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
83.4%

$97,335 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Colorado School of Mines apart

Academic design

Engineering, computing and applied sciences are taught through design projects, field sessions, research and capstones tied closely to industry problems.

Campus pattern

Golden places students at the base of the Rockies with immediate trail access while downtown Denver remains close enough for internships and employers.

Career & value signal

Its historic expertise in earth, energy, minerals and infrastructure has expanded into modern engineering and computing without losing the school’s technical focus.

Can I get in?

59.7% admitted

Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.

Recent applicant pool

9,821

About 60 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 59.7%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1320–1470
12201560
ACT middle 50%29–33
2636

Of admitted students, 42% submitted an SAT, and 18% submitted an ACT. The ACT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.

Entered with a 4.0 GPA22.9%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Colorado School of Mines, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Colorado School of Mines weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Engineering, computing and applied sciences are taught through design projects, field sessions, research and capstones tied closely to industry problems.

02

Make institutional fit specific

Mines is a deliberately specialized university for students who want engineering and applied science to dominate the academic environment.

03

Use the application route carefully

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.

Early ActionNov 1
Regular DecisionJan 15
Fee and waiver$60 application fee

Fee waiver: accepted

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$45,900
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$29,000
Affordability profileSolid

College funding

Scholarships and financial aid

Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.

Colorado School of Mines publishes four merit awards, the largest reaching full tuition or more. two require a separate scholarship application. All of them renew past the first year.

Automatic consideration An award reaching $10,000 to $20,000 a year

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews each year

Automatic consideration An award reaching $10,000 to $20,000 a year

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews each year

Separate scholarship application Merit scholarship

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews

Separate scholarship application An award reaching full tuition or more

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews

In the season card

These four awards, by name

What each one is called, what it pays, the grades and scores it asks for, and what to send.

  • The name of each award 
  • What it pays 
  • The grades and scores it asks for 
  • How to be considered 
  • What to send, and where 
See the full read
Open financial aid plan

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Colorado School of Mines

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years83.4%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one92.9%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$97,335

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Mechanical Engineering

Recent graduates321
Median earnings$97,087

Admits separately

Computer Science

Recent graduates222
Median earnings$127,217

Admits separately

Chemical Engineering

Recent graduates149
Median earnings$94,598

Admits separately

Civil Engineering

Recent graduates83
Median earnings$94,228

Admits separately

Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering

Recent graduates80
Median earnings$106,012

Admits separately

What is campus life like?

Colorado School of Mines beyond the classroom

Golden places students at the base of the Rockies with immediate trail access while downtown Denver remains close enough for internships and employers.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Engineering, computing and applied sciences are taught through design projects, field sessions, research and capstones tied closely to industry problems.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

Golden places students at the base of the Rockies with immediate trail access while downtown Denver remains close enough for internships and employers.

Career & value

Where the degree can lead

Its historic expertise in earth, energy, minerals and infrastructure has expanded into modern engineering and computing without losing the school’s technical focus.

6,155 undergraduatesMountain Westsuburban setting93% of first-year students live on campus