University of Colorado Boulder
PublicBoulder, CO
The University of Colorado Boulder was founded in 1876 and serves as Colorado's flagship public research university. It is one of 38 public institutions in the Association of American Universities and holds a Carnegie R1 research classification, with five colleges and schools. CU Boulder is home to five Nobel laureates since 1989 and is the only university to have sent scientific instruments to every planet in the solar system, alongside research initiatives such as the CUbit Quantum Initiative.
Admissions
Test scores for the Fall 2025 entering class come from University of Colorado Boulder's own 2025-26 Common Data Set: 27% submitted SAT scores, 6% submitted ACT scores.
Application deadlines for Fall 2027 entry
- Early Action: Nov 15, 2026
- Regular Decision: Jan 15, 2027
Confirm on University of Colorado Boulder's own admissions site before you apply.
Cost & outcomes
Out-of-state students pay $31,044 more per year in tuition and fees (3.1x the in-state rate).
Base rate for majors like the humanities, social sciences and education; engineering, natural sciences and business cost more. The rate is locked for four years. The in-state figure is what families pay after Colorado's College Opportunity Fund stipend.
Tuition & fees are University of Colorado Boulder's own published 2026-27 rates (source); other figures are from the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Tuition & fees are the sticker price for a full-time first-year undergrad, before financial aid, and don't include room and board.
Where do you stand against University of Colorado Boulder's numbers?
Check your chances hereHow University of Colorado Boulder weighs your application
From University of Colorado Boulder's own Common Data Set, 2025-26, Section C7 -- not a generic admissions checklist. What is a Common Data Set?
What admitted applicants who posted their results listed
24 admitted applicants who posted their profiles publicly, 2024–25 and 2025–26 admissions cycles. Too few rejected or waitlisted applicants have posted to compare, so every figure here describes admits only. It shows what admitted posters looked like, not what made the difference.
Most common activities among admits
Most common awards among admits
Who the admitted posters were
How this compares across big public universities: Big Public University Accepted vs. Rejected Applicants →
These are people who chose to post their results publicly, mostly on Reddit -- a group that skews toward high scores and STEM. They describe posters, not University of Colorado Boulder's admitted class, and recruited athletes are left out. Expect these medians to run above the school's real admitted class. For official numbers, use the admissions figures above.
See full profile -- financial aid, campus life, and what University of Colorado Boulder weighs in your application
Paying it back
"Still growing" means a borrower's payments aren't yet covering interest 3 years into repayment -- not a default rate. A high number here can mean real repayment difficulty, or just a lot of grads who deferred for graduate school, so read it alongside the school's typical outcomes above.
Majors & earnings
Median earnings 4 years after graduation, by major, from the US Dept of Education. Only shown where the school reports a real figure for that major -- most schools don't report every major they offer, especially smaller programs.
Campus life
Room and board are shown separately from the cost of attendance above -- that total already includes them alongside tuition and fees, this just breaks out the living-cost portion.
What matters in your application
From this school's own reporting to the US Dept of Education on what it formally requires, considers, or doesn't use when reviewing applications.
Frequently asked questions
What does University of Colorado Boulder look for in applicants?
Per University of Colorado Boulder's own Common Data Set (Section C7), it rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA as "very important" in admissions decisions -- its own stated top factors, not a generic guess.
What is University of Colorado Boulder's acceptance rate?
University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, CO admits approximately 78% of applicants, based on the US Dept of Education's most recently reported figures.
What SAT score do I need for University of Colorado Boulder?
Per University of Colorado Boulder's own 2025-26 Common Data Set, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1130–1370 on the SAT (25th–75th percentile, among students who submitted scores).
What ACT score do I need for University of Colorado Boulder?
Per University of Colorado Boulder's own 2025-26 Common Data Set, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 27–32 on the ACT (25th–75th percentile, among students who submitted scores).
How much does University of Colorado Boulder cost?
University of Colorado Boulder's total cost of attendance is reported at $37,684 per year, including tuition, fees, and room and board.
What is out-of-state tuition at University of Colorado Boulder?
For 2026-27, University of Colorado Boulder's tuition and required fees are $46,058 for out-of-state students and $15,014 for in-state students -- $31,044 more per year for out-of-state students. That's before financial aid, and room and board are extra.
When is the application deadline for University of Colorado Boulder?
University of Colorado Boulder's deadlines are Early Action Nov 15, 2026; Regular Decision Jan 15, 2027, per its own published admissions calendar.
Does University of Colorado Boulder require students to live on campus?
No -- University of Colorado Boulder doesn't require students to live in on-campus housing.
Related reading
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