An Education System That’s Second to None

As you may have noticed, Colorado continues to rank at the top of the nation’s “Best of” lists, and our student body is no exception. Ranked among the most educated states in the country, 38 percent of Coloradans have at least a bachelor’s degree, the second highest college attainment rate in the country, and 14 percent hold a graduate or professional degree.

Access to top-tier universities and programs, and one of the highest per capita concentrations of federal science, research and engineering facilities in the country, is one of the leading reasons why brilliant minds choose Colorado. Add to that our 300 days of sunshine and ability to head to the mountains for a much needed break from studying, and it’s easy to see why these students make their roots here – eventually becoming our valued employees.

Educational Attainment

Colorado State Flag
90.4%
Colorado
United States Flag
86.3%
United States
High School Graduate or Higher Percent of Persons age 25 Years or More
Colorado State Flag
37.4%
Colorado
United States Flag
29.3%
United States
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Percent of Persons age 25 Years or More
488
All Post-Secondary Education Providers
406,037
Students Enrolled at Post-Secondary Education Providers

Total Enrollment

Fall 2014

Four-Year Public 156,934
Community Colleges 84,138
Local District Institutions 10,706

Degrees Awarded

2013-2014

Certificates 11,735
Associate 8,651
Bachelor 25,731
Graduate 9,048

Public Institutions Degree Level

Undergrad 89%
Grad 11%

Public Institutions Degrees Offered (September 2015)

CertificatesAssociatesBachelorsMastersDoctorate
1,9279151,4791,088396

Rankings

# 2
State for Educational Attainment WalletHub , 2021
# 5
Most Educated State WalletHub , 2021
# 4
Best Engineering Colleges, Colorado School of Mines Money , 2020
# 1
Best College Town, Boulder Best Colleges Review , 2020

Figures

470
Public, private, technical and occupational higher education institutions
19
Four-year colleges and universities
24
State-wide federal research and development laboratories