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Colorado School of Mines

Colorado School of Mines

Golden, CO · Suburb · 6,155 students
WebsiteCommon AppForbes rankingScorecard
Application deadlines: Check the admissions site
$28,690
Average net priceYour net price
In-state · 2023-24
<30
30–48
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
81%
Graduation rate
Entered fall 2017 & 2018
70% typical
$97,335
Earnings 10 years on
Measured 2020 & 2021
$63,395 typical
61%
Acceptance rate
Applied for fall 2024
73% typical · not scored
Accredited by Higher Learning Commission
About

Colorado School of Mines is a top-tier public research university renowned for its rigorous, specialized focus on engineering, applied sciences, and natural resource management. Located in Golden at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, the school fosters a tight-knit, collaborative, and outdoorsy student culture where intense academics are balanced with easy access to hiking and skiing. Mines boasts world-class programs in mining, petroleum, mechanical, and geological engineering, consistently delivering exceptional career outcome rates and some of the highest starting salaries in the nation. The university is uniquely characterized by traditions like the annual "M" Climb, where incoming freshmen carry a rock from their hometown up Mount Zion, showcasing the school's strong community spirit and rich heritage.

Wikipedia:The Colorado School of Mines (Mines) is a public research university in Golden, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1874, the school offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, science, and mathematics, with a focus on energy and the environment. While Mines does offer undergraduate minor programs in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, it only offers degree programs in STEM fields, with the exception of economics. In the fall 2025 semester, the school enrolled 8,247 students, including 6,371 undergraduate and 1,876 graduate students. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".

Location
Golden, CO, 80401 · Suburb campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
DEN · Denver
30 mi away
Open in Google Maps
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
In-stateOut-of-state
Tuition & fees$21,914$45,824
Housing & food (on campus)$17,531$17,531
Books & supplies$1,500$1,500
Cost of attendance$48,033$71,541
Average net price$28,690Not published
Out-of-state prices
Tuition & fees$45,824
In-state: $21,914
Housing & food (on campus)$17,531
Books & supplies$1,500
Cost of attendance$71,541
In-state: $48,033
Average net priceNot published
In-state: $28,690
Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: finaid.mines.edu
How it’s made up · out-of-state, 2026-27
Colorado School of Mines’s own figures for 2026-2027, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.
Tuition$43,488
Fees$3,206
Housing$15,210
Food$4,716
Books & supplies$1,500
Personal expenses$1,728
Transportation$1,512
Total published by the school$71,541
See how the in-state total ($48,033) is made up
How it’s made up · in-state, 2026-27
Colorado School of Mines’s own figures for 2026-2027, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.
Tuition$19,980
Fees$3,206
Housing$15,210
Food$4,716
Books & supplies$1,500
Personal expenses$1,728
Transportation$1,512
Total published by the school$48,033
Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24
$0–30k
$16,849
$30–48k
$18,162
$48–75k
$22,192
$75–110k
$28,183
$110k+
$35,112
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
81%
Entered 2017–18
Within 4 yrs
67%
Back for yr 2
93%
Transferred
14%
8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students
84% graduated · 13% transferred · 3% left or unknown · none still enrolled
Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021
6 yrs after entry$82,950
10 yrs after entry$97,335
Debt
Median at graduation$23,000
Monthly payment$244
Middle 50% owe$10.3k–$28k
90th percentile$35,500
Green marks a figure above the typical Doctoral University: 70% graduate within 6 yrs, $63,395 earned 10 yrs after entry.
Admissions
Getting in · applied for fall 2024
Admit rate
61%
Test policy
Test optional
Per College Scorecard
SAT average
1412
R 650–730 · M 670–750
ACT midpoint
31
Comp 29–33 · E 28–35 · M 28–34
SAT middle 50%: 1320–1480
40080012001600

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Essay prompts

If Colorado School of Mines asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body
Gender
Men 68%Women 32%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
18 : 1
Pell grant
14%
First-gen
15%
Family income
$95,766
Independent
12%
Age at entry
20.0
Part-time
4%
Race & ethnicity
White
68%
Hispanic
14%
Black
1%
Asian
6%
Two or more
6%
Non-resident
3%
Unknown
1%
Varsity sports
NCAA Division II with football · EADA 2024-25
  • Baseball
    Men's
  • Basketball
    Men's · Women's
  • Cross Country
    Men's · Women's
  • Football
    Men's
  • Golf
    Men's
  • Soccer
    Men's · Women's
  • Softball
    Women's
  • Swimming
    Men's · Women's
  • Track and Field (Indoor)
    Men's · Women's
  • Track and Field (Outdoor)
    Men's · Women's
  • Volleyball
    Women's
  • Wrestling
    Men's
Programs & Earnings
Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings
Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021
After 6 yrs
$82,950
After 10 yrs
$97,335
Mechanical Engineering321
Computer Science222
Chemical Engineering149
Civil Engineering83
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering80
Metallurgical Engineering61
Petroleum Engineering60
Engineering Physics53
Geological/Geophysical Engineering46
Applied Mathematics32
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering30
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology20
Engineering, General17
Mining and Mineral Engineering17
Chemistry15
Economics5
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Resources
Endowment
$386M
Full-time faculty
73%
Faculty salary
$14,000/mo
Teaching spend
$20,431
per student
Federal loans
32%
Classification
Carnegie type
Doctoral University
Research activity
R1 — very high research
$110M research spending · 128 research doctorates a year
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, more selective admissions

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