CU Boulder: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Officially University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, Colorado · Public · Moderately selective · CDS 2025-2026
Admission at a glance
Common Data Set 2025-2026
- Test-optional
- Early Action
- 73,180
- Applicants
- 51,716
- Admitted71%
- 7,397
- Enrolled
- 14%
- Yield rate
Selectivity
Moderately selective71% admittedRanked #109 (tie) in National Universities; Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs #26 (tie), Business Programs #33 (tie), Computer Science #34 (tie), Economics #50 (tie)U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2027
Admission figures come from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set published by University of Colorado Boulder (see the source), read on 2026-09-24.
Is CU Boulder a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places CU Boulder against it in about a minute. No account needed.
CU Boulder is a public university in Boulder, Colorado that admits about 71% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $25,346 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Business Administration, Management and Operations, Psychology, General and Computer Science, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 74% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 5.3 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
CU Boulder is a public institution located in Boulder, Colorado with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, CU Boulder admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 71%. Admitted students typically post a median SAT of 1260 and an ACT composite around 28. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $25,346 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.
What parents should know about CU Boulder right now
The University of Colorado Boulder was founded March 14, 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, and now enrolls 32,520 undergraduates as of fall 2025 (38,808 total students). It is an Association of American Universities member with R1 very high research activity status and reported $536 million in research spending in 2021, ranking 50th nationally. The university receives more NASA astrophysics technology grants than any other academic institution and has produced 20 astronauts, the fourth-highest count among U.S. universities, a useful detail for parents of aerospace, physics, or planetary-science focused students; CU Boulder is the only university to have sent instruments to every planet in our solar system. The campus offers more than 150 academic programs across nine colleges and schools and has a system-wide endowment of $2.47 billion as of fiscal 2025. For application planning, parents should know that CU Boulder uses two clear deadlines through the Common Application: November 15 for early action (decisions by February 1) and January 15 for regular decision (decisions by April 1). Test scores remain optional, with only about 32 percent of fall 2021 freshmen submitting SAT scores in the 1180 to 1380 middle 50 percent range. The most recent reported admit rate is 79.6 percent, making CU Boulder relatively accessible compared to flagship peers, while still offering nationally recognized research opportunities and a strong residential life centered on Klauder's distinctive Tuscan Vernacular Revival architecture.
What GPA does my child need for CU Boulder?
64% of enrolled students at CU Boulder had a high school GPA of 3.75 or above, and the average was 3.77, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
Compare CU Boulder with the other schools on your list
Open CU Boulder in College Search to set it beside up to three other colleges on cost, admission odds and outcomes, and save it to a shortlist when you are ready.
What does CU Boulder weight in admissions?
CU Boulder reports these factor weights in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). What the weights mean
Very Important
2- Rigor of secondary school record
- Academic GPA
Important
5- Application essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurricular activities
- Talent/ability
- Character/personal qualities
Considered
7- Class rank
- Standardized test scores
- First generation status
- Geographical residence
- State residency
- Volunteer work
- Work experience
Not Considered
4- Interview
- Alumni/ae relation
- Religious affiliation/commitment
- Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores CU Boulder typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 610–720, with an EBRW midpoint near 640. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 29–33. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1130 |
| 50th percentile | 1260 |
| 75th percentile | 1370 |
| % submitting SAT | 27% |
| 25th percentile | 27 |
| 50th percentile | 30 |
| 75th percentile | 32 |
| % submitting ACT | 6% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Test-optional; indicate on Common App whether to submit scores.
- • Checked for Fall 2027 applicants on CU Boulder's admissions site. Policies change; confirm before you apply.
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort, often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 26.3% |
| Top 25% of class | 57.6% |
| Top 50% of class | 87.7% |
| % submitting class rank | 41.3% |
How much does CU Boulder actually cost?
Published tuition is $15,666 for in-state students and $44,918 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $18,468 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $25,346 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 14% of students receive Pell Grants.
| In-state tuition | $13,974 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $45,018 |
| Room and board | $19,242 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $25,346 |
| Share of financial need metaverage, for students with need | 72% |
| Average need-based grant | $17,729 |
| Average merit award, no financial need3,348 first-year students received one | $10,166 |
| Graduates who borrowed | 34% |
| Average debt at graduationamong those who borrowed | $29,123 |
| Financial aid forms | FAFSA only (no CSS Profile)College Board 2026-27 list |
| Application fee | $65 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for CU Boulder
| Regular deadline | 1/15 |
| Notification date | 4/1 |
| Reply deadline | 5/1 |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | November 15 |
Will my child graduate from CU Boulder?
These predict outcomes at CU Boulder better than its acceptance rate does. How to read retention and graduation rates
Most popular majors at CU Boulder
The most popular undergraduate programs at CU Boulder, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Psychology, General and Computer Science. Across all programs, CU Boulder confers roughly 3,600 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Business Administration, Management and Operations program report a median income of about $91,156 five years after entering college. What these figures mean
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 1,087 | $91,156 |
| Psychology, General | 567 | $58,599 |
| Computer Science | 473 | $122,521 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 409 | n/a |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 310 | $67,874 |
| Economics | 284 | $79,838 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 235 | $91,715 |
| Political Science and Government | 235 | $74,672 |
Is CU Boulder safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), CU Boulder disclosed 169 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 5.3 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 18 violent offenses and 116 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts
What is campus life like at CU Boulder?
About 26% of undergraduates at CU Boulder live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 9% of men join a fraternity and 22% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in Colorado parents ask about
Colleges that admit at a similar rate
Next steps for CU Boulder
Common questions parents ask about CU Boulder
What GPA do I need for CU Boulder?
64% of enrolled students at CU Boulder had a high school GPA of 3.75 or above, and the average was 3.77, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
What SAT or ACT score does CU Boulder typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 610–720, with an EBRW midpoint near 640. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 29–33.
How much does CU Boulder actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at CU Boulder after grants and scholarships is $25,346 per year, against a published in-state tuition of $15,666 and $44,918 out of state. Budget against the net figure.
Is CU Boulder realistic for my child?
CU Boulder admits 71% of applicants, so 610–720 SAT Math is target range and below 610 is a reach. Then check the $25,346 average net price against what your family can carry.
What is the acceptance rate at CU Boulder?
CU Boulder accepts about 71% of applicants out of roughly 73,180 who apply each year. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is CU Boulder test-optional?
Yes. CU Boulder is test-optional for Fall 2027 applicants, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at CU Boulder?
About 74% of students at CU Boulder graduate within six years, and 57% finish in four years. 91% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does CU Boulder look for in applicants?
CU Boulder rates course rigor and GPA as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is CU Boulder a public or private school, and where is it located?
CU Boulder is a public institution located in Boulder, Colorado.
What are the most popular majors at CU Boulder?
The largest undergraduate majors at CU Boulder by annual graduates are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Psychology, General and Computer Science. The school awards about 3,600 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is CU Boulder safe? What is its campus crime rate?
CU Boulder reported 169 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 5.3 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at CU Boulder?
At CU Boulder, 26% of undergraduates live on campus, 9% of men are in fraternities, 22% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Sources: the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by University of Colorado Boulder, the College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act disclosures. What each source covers