Quick Stats
Location: Golden, CO
Closest Big City/Airport: Denver, CO
School Size: 4,918
Athletic Division: NCAA DII
Athletic Conference: RMAC (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference)
Tuition & Fees : In: $19,538 // Out: $40,838
Total Cost of Attendance: In: $38,259 // Out: $59,557
Average Cost After Aid: $27,675
Percent of Financial Aid Need Met: 61%
Average High School GPA: 3.78
Average SAT/ACT Combined: SAT - 1360 // ACT - 31
Acceptance Rate: 55%
Popular Degrees: Engineering (So much Engineering)
Personal Tour Blog
Located just west of Denver in beautiful Golden, you will find the Colorado School of Mines. As you head towards Mines you feel as though they’re heading straight into the mountains. The terrain starts to get more rural, the air feels cleaner, and once you’ve reached the Coors Brewing facility you know you’ve made it.
Positioned in the foothills of Mt. Zion, Golden is a peaceful small town with a small and friendly downtown. It has a small-town feel to it, and Denver provides a big city atmosphere for any students who are craving that environment at any point. With local eateries like Atomic Burger, Golden has its own special flair, and the city itself sits on a fair amount of beautiful terrain.
School of Mines is located on the west side of downtown Golden and raises up into Mt. Zion. The campus itself is a manageable walk, and you’re greeted with a mixture of classic brick buildings weaved in among new, glassed-in facilities that are a part of campus renovation.
The campus itself was fairly quiet when I visited, with most students focused on getting to their next class, but the population itself seemed perfect for the campus size. I never felt overwhelmed by the number of students nearby, but there was always someone to talk to or walk with at any given moment.
For those interested in Mines, you’ll most likely want to be interested in some sort of engineering. While many other colleges pride themselves on a variety of subjects, Mines knows what it does well and leans into that strength. If you’re interested in basically any engineering program, Mines should be on your list. While they do offer some liberal arts degrees as well, engineering is where they shine the brightest.
As for sports, The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a pretty fantastic conference to play. The views you’ll get at both home and away games belong on most peoples’ screensavers at work! The school itself is 33% female as well, so there may be even more opportunities for female athletes to explore Mines if interested in any engineering fields.
While the School of Mines may not subscribe to the “have a degree for everyone” approach that many large schools do, they’ve carved out their niche in the engineering world in an incredible way, and their placement rates of 96% and above speak for themselves.
Fun Facts
- School of Mines degrees are issued on silver diplomas, with degree information etched into the metal
- Freshmen hike Mt. Zion with a rock from their hometown and contribute to the “M” that faces the campus.
Athlete Fun Fact
Blaster the Burro is the live mascot of the Orediggers and can be found at all home football games and around campus for special events. Google him, he’s adorable.
Sports Offered
Men
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Swimming
- Track & Field
- Wrestling
Women
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming
- Track & Field
- Volleyball
