Colorado State University

Colorado State University (CSU) is a public land-grant research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado, situated at the foot of the Rocky Mountains approximately 65 miles north of Denver. CSU is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. Established in 1870 as the state's land-grant institution, the university was created through the framework of the Morrill Act of 1862, federal legislation that donated public lands to several states, the proceeds of which were intended to fund accessible and practical higher education. Today, the university is one of Colorado's premier academic and research institutions, enrolling tens of thousands of students from across the state, the nation, and around the world.

History and Founding

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act to create a new and uniquely American model of higher education, the land-grant university, dedicated to promoting the practical education of the working classes. Six years before Colorado became a state, the territorial governor authorized the creation of Colorado's own land-grant institution — the Agricultural College of Colorado, which would later become Colorado State University in Fort Collins.

Within several months of establishment, the university's first building — a 16-foot-by-24-foot red brick structure nicknamed the "Claim Shanty" — was finished, providing the first tangible presence of the institution in Fort Collins. Despite wall cracks and other structural problems suffered during its first year, the building was opened in time for the welcoming of the first five students on September 1, 1879, by university president Elijah Evan Edwards. Enrollment grew to 25 by 1880.

During the first term at Colorado Agricultural College in fall 1879, the school functioned more as a college-preparatory institution than a college because of the lack of trained students. Consequently, the first course offerings were arithmetic, English, U.S. history, natural philosophy, horticulture, and farm economy. Students also labored on the college farm and attended daily chapel services.

Among the university's early milestones was the graduation of Libbie Coy, the first woman to graduate from any college or university in the State of Colorado.

In 1877, the state legislature created the eight-member State Board of Agriculture to govern the school. Early in the 21st century, the governing board was renamed the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System.

The institution underwent several name changes over the following decades. In 1935, the school's name was changed to the Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, commonly known as Colorado A&M. In 1957, the Colorado General Assembly approved the new name of Colorado State University. This renaming reflected a broadening educational mission well beyond its agricultural roots.

One of the more dramatic moments in the university's modern history occurred during the Vietnam War era. Old Main, which had served as the cornerstone of the campus Oval, was burned to the ground during a demonstration in 1970. The building's loss marked a turning point in campus culture, though CSU continued to grow in the years that followed.

Campus and Facilities

The university's 562-acre main campus is located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Fort Collins, 65 miles north of Denver. The Foothills campus, approximately three miles west of the main campus, houses many special research facilities.

The Oval serves as the heart of Colorado State University. It was designed in 1909 as an aesthetically pleasing way to connect main campus buildings. Surrounding the Oval are historic structures including Johnson Hall, which was the original student center, and the Music Building, which was built as a library.

Colorado State University's oldest existing building is Spruce Hall, constructed in 1881. Originally a dormitory that played a vital role in the early growth of the school's student enrollment, Spruce now houses the Division of Continuing Education and the Office of Admissions.

In 2008, CSU opened its University Center for the Arts, located in the old Fort Collins High School. CSU purchased this historic building in 1995 and has since converted it into a new home for its programs in music, dance, theatre, and the visual arts.

CSU's campus also includes the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory (EECL), the Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising, the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art, the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital, and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA).

In 2024, Colorado State University once again demonstrated it is among the most sustainable higher education institutions in the world by earning a top-four ranking in the 2024 Sustainable Campus Index calculated by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). CSU has been in that top echelon of doctoral institutions for all 10 years of AASHE's rankings. The university was the first in the nation to receive a Platinum designation — the highest available — from AASHE, and earned its fourth Platinum rating in 2023.

Academics and Research

The university has approximately 1,500 faculty in 8 colleges and 55 academic departments. Bachelor's degrees are offered in 65 fields of study and master's degrees are offered in 55 fields. Colorado State confers doctoral degrees in 40 fields of study, in addition to a professional degree in veterinary medicine.

Committed to excellence, the university offers over 70 undergraduate degree programs, 19 of which are also available online; 140 master's degree programs, 43 of which are offered online; 65 doctoral programs, 3 of which are offered online; and 64 graduate certificates, 55 of which are offered online.

In fiscal year 2023, CSU spent $498.1 million on research and development. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity." Among other recognition for research and creative scholarship, CSU was recognized in 2022 as one of 10 top research institutions in the world contributing to solving the COVID pandemic.

CSU is recognized internationally for its work in such diverse and critical fields as cancer research, atmospheric science, animal science, climate change, forest and wildlife management, and engineering.

The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences stands as one of CSU's most distinguished programs. A concern for health and the diseases of animals and humans provides the unifying theme for the undergraduate, professional, and graduate programs of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences — a manifestation of the concept of One Health. The College combines teaching, research, and public service activities in basic biomedical disciplines such as anatomy, neurobiology, physiology, microbiology, and pathology, with applied disciplines such as clinical veterinary medicine, surgery, diagnostic imaging, and epidemiology. The James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital has 28 different specialty areas, from emergency care to cancer treatment for animals, and treats nearly 47,000 animal patients each year.

The Department of Atmospheric Science is another flagship academic unit. Diverse areas of research include cloud microphysics, severe storms and mesoscale meteorology, atmospheric chemistry and air quality, radiation and remote sensing, climate and atmosphere-ocean dynamics, global biogeochemical cycles, and data assimilation and machine learning.

The university's dozens of research facilities include the Colorado Water Resources Research Institute, the Center for Earth-Atmosphere Studies, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the Western Forest Fire Research Center, and the Equine Teaching and Research Center.

Last fall, CSU welcomed some 34,218 students, 60 percent of whom are Colorado residents and 25 percent of whom come from diverse backgrounds. The university also hosts some 1,500 international students typically from about 110 countries, while more than 1,600 students typically participate in education abroad.

The student-faculty ratio at Colorado State University is 17:1, and it utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. CSU graduates find success with 85% securing a job related to their career plans within six months of graduation.

The CSU System

The CSU System includes three distinct institutions: CSU Pueblo, CSU Global, and the flagship Colorado State University with its main campus in Fort Collins and a presence in every county of Colorado as the state's land-grant university.

With seven Agricultural Experiment Stations, 19 Colorado State Forest Service district and field offices, two engagement centers, and Extension offices in almost every county, the CSU System provides services to 64 counties — every corner of Colorado.

CSU Global was created as the nation's first fully online, fully accredited, public university — an integral step in CSU's commitment to serving the educational needs of Colorado.

The Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System includes nine voting members who are appointed by the governor of Colorado. Amy Parsons is the 16th president of Colorado State University. Prior to being named president and assuming the role in February 2023, Amy served in various senior executive leadership roles at CSU and the CSU System, combining higher education experience with a private sector background.

Athletics

The Colorado State Rams athletic program competes across a wide range of sports. The Colorado State Rams are a member of the NCAA's Mountain West Conference. Sports include men's and women's cross country, indoor and outdoor track, basketball, and golf, as well as a men's football team and women's volleyball, tennis, swimming, softball, soccer, and water polo teams.

Swimmer and six-time Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken is one of CSU's most notable athletes. Other CSU alumni are Nobel Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, astronauts, CEOs, Marshall Scholars, and two former governors of Colorado.

The university's on-campus football stadium, Canvas Stadium, is a landmark of modern college athletics facilities. The on-campus stadium at Colorado State University opened in the summer of 2017 and brought Rams football games back to campus for the first time in 50 years, providing countless new engagement opportunities for the entire university. The $220 million, 727,000-square-foot facility was financed entirely through a bond sale, with no general fund or tuition funding, and backed by private donations. CSU and Canvas Credit Union announced a 15-year, $37.7 million naming rights agreement in April 2018, and the stadium was officially renamed Canvas Stadium on June 5, 2018.

The first game in the new stadium was August 26, 2017, when the Rams defeated Oregon State 58–27. The Rams set an all-time attendance record in their inaugural season at Canvas Stadium with a total of 192,369 fans, a 16% attendance increase from the year before.

In 1967, it was decided that the annual Border War football rivalry between CSU and the University of Wyoming needed a traveling trophy. Dan Romero, an assistant professor of military science at CSU and Vietnam veteran, came up with the idea of bronzing one of his battle-worn boots. The First Bronze Boot was awarded during the inaugural season at Hughes Stadium in 1968.