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Colorado School of Mines

Overview

At a Glance

School type

Public, 4-year or above

Faculty

682 Faculty Members | 10:1 student faculty ratio

Religious affliation

Not applicable

General Information

Address

Colorado School of Mines

1500 Illinois St, Golden, Colorado 80401

See on Map
Phone

(303) 273-3000

Website
www.mines.edu/

Mission Statement

The Colorado School of Mines shall be a specialized baccalaureate and graduate research institution with high admission standards. The Colorado School of Mines shall have a unique mission in energy, mineral and materials science and engineering and associated engineering and science fields. The school shall be the primary institution of higher education offering energy, mineral and materials science and mineral engineering degrees at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. (Colorado Revised Statutes, Section 23-41-105)

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Mission Statement

×

The Colorado School of Mines shall be a specialized baccalaureate and graduate research institution with high admission standards. The Colorado School of Mines shall have a unique mission in energy, mineral and materials science and engineering and associated engineering and science fields. The school shall be the primary institution of higher education offering energy, mineral and materials science and mineral engineering degrees at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. (Colorado Revised Statutes, Section 23-41-105)

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cost & financial aid

Annual tuition & fees

Undergraduate

In state

$19,538

Out of state

$40,838
Graduate

In state

$19,532

Out of state

$40,844

Financial Aid: Undergraduates

Received financial aid
98%
Did not receive aid
2%
Type of aid % of students recieving aid Average amount
Federal grants 13.0% $5,062
State/local grants 11.0% $2,975
Institutional grants 98.0% $9,733
Loans 44.0% $10,009

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Financial aid resources

Paying for college

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Academics

Most Popular Undergraduate majors

  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering
  • Civil Engineering, General
Full List of Majors

Undergraduate Majors X

  • BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
    • Biochemistry
      • A program that focuses on the scientific study of the chemistry of living systems, their fundamental chemical substances and reactions, and their chemical pathways and information transfer systems, with particular reference to carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Includes instruction in bio-organic chemistry, protein chemistry, bioanalytical chemistry, bioseparations, regulatory biochemistry, enzymology, hormonal chemistry, calorimetry, and research methods and equipment operation. See other colleges that offer this major
  • COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Computer Science
      • A program that focuses on computer theory, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, computer development and programming, and applications to a variety of end-use situations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • ENGINEERING
    • Engineering, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to solve a wide variety of practical problems in industry, social organization, public works, and commerce. Includes instruction in undifferentiated and individualized programs in engineering. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of biomedical and health systems and products such as integrated biomedical systems, instrumentation, medical information systems, artificial organs and prostheses, and health management and care delivery systems. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Chemical Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of systems employing chemical processes, such as chemical reactors, kinetic systems, electrochemical systems, energy conservation processes, heat and mass transfer systems, and separation processes; and the applied analysis of chemical problems such as corrosion, particle abrasion, energy loss, pollution, and fluid mechanics. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Civil Engineering, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of structural, load-bearing, material moving, transportation, water resource, and material control systems; and environmental safety measures. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Electrical and Electronics Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of electrical and electronic systems and their components, including electrical power generation systems; and the analysis of problems such as superconductor, wave propagation, energy storage and retrieval, and reception and amplification. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Engineering Physics/Applied Physics
      • A program focusing on the use of physics principles in the analysis and evaluation of engineering problems and other scientific applications. Includes instruction in high- and low-temperature phenomena, computational physics, superconductivity, applied thermodynamics, molecular and particle physics applications, and space science research. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of systems for controlling contained living environments and for monitoring and controlling factors in the external natural environment, including pollution control, waste and hazardous material disposal, health and safety protection, conservation, life support, and requirements for protection of special materials and related work environments. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Mechanical Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of physical systems used in manufacturing and end-product systems used for specific uses, including machine tools, jigs and other manufacturing equipment; stationary power units and appliances; engines; self-propelled vehicles; housings and containers; hydraulic and electric systems for controlling movement; and the integration of computers and remote control with operating systems. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Metallurgical Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and metallurgical principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of metal components of structural, load-bearing, power, transmission, and moving systems; and the analysis of engineering problems such as stress, creep, failure, alloy behavior, environmental fluctuations, stability, electromagnetic and thermodynamic characteristics, optimal manufacturing processes, and related design considerations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Mining and Mineral Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of mineral extraction, processing and refining systems, including open pit and shaft mines, prospecting and site analysis equipment and instruments, environmental and safety systems, mine equipment and facilities, mineral processing and refining methods and systems, and logistics and communications systems. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Petroleum Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of systems for locating, extracting, processing and refining crude petroleum and natural gas, including prospecting instruments and equipment, mining and drilling systems, processing and refining systems and facilities, storage facilities, transportation systems, and related environmental and safety systems. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Geological/Geophysical Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and geological principles to the analysis and evaluation of engineering problems, including the geological evaluation of construction sites, the analysis of geological forces acting on structures and systems, the analysis of potential natural resource recovery sites, and applied research on geological phenomena. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Biological/Biosystems Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and management of biological systems; and includes applications to biology, biochemistry, ecology, and microbiology. Includes instruction in organic chemistry; microbiology; biochemistry; chemical, biological, biochemical, and process engineering; thermodynamics; process control; kinetics and reactor design; electric circuits; biosystem modeling; and bioelectronics and instrumentation. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Engineering, Other
  • MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS
    • Mathematics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Computational and Applied Mathematics
      • A program that focuses on the application of a broad range of mathematical and computational methods to modeling, analysis, algorithm development, and simulation for the solution of complex scientific and engineering problems. Includes instruction in numerical analysis, discrete mathematics, operations research, optimization, differential equations, statistics, scientific computation, and applications to specific scientific and industrial topics. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PHYSICAL SCIENCES
    • Chemistry, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena. See other colleges that offer this major
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
    • Economics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues. See other colleges that offer this major

Most Popular Graduate programs

  • Engineering/Industrial Management
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Civil Engineering, General
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Full List of Programs

Graduate ProgramsX

  • COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Computer Science
      • A program that focuses on computer theory, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, computer development and programming, and applications to a variety of end-use situations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • ENGINEERING
    • Engineering, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to solve a wide variety of practical problems in industry, social organization, public works, and commerce. Includes instruction in undifferentiated and individualized programs in engineering. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Chemical Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of systems employing chemical processes, such as chemical reactors, kinetic systems, electrochemical systems, energy conservation processes, heat and mass transfer systems, and separation processes; and the applied analysis of chemical problems such as corrosion, particle abrasion, energy loss, pollution, and fluid mechanics. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Civil Engineering, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of structural, load-bearing, material moving, transportation, water resource, and material control systems; and environmental safety measures. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply geotechnical engineering methods, which deal with the analysis, design and construction of earth and earth supported structures, to the application of environmental problems, such as waste containment, waste disposal, construction of land fills, soil permeation, soil analysis, and soil improvement. Includes instruction in soil mechanics, soil dynamics, soil behavior, waste management and containment systems, geosynthetics, geochemistry, earth structures, geoenvironmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, earthquake engineering, and foundation engineering See other colleges that offer this major
    • Electrical and Electronics Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of electrical and electronic systems and their components, including electrical power generation systems; and the analysis of problems such as superconductor, wave propagation, energy storage and retrieval, and reception and amplification. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Engineering Physics/Applied Physics
      • A program focusing on the use of physics principles in the analysis and evaluation of engineering problems and other scientific applications. Includes instruction in high- and low-temperature phenomena, computational physics, superconductivity, applied thermodynamics, molecular and particle physics applications, and space science research. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of systems for controlling contained living environments and for monitoring and controlling factors in the external natural environment, including pollution control, waste and hazardous material disposal, health and safety protection, conservation, life support, and requirements for protection of special materials and related work environments. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Materials Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and materials science principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of materials and related processes used in manufacturing in a wide variety of settings; the synthesis of new industrial materials, including marrying and bonding composites; analysis of materials requirements and specifications; and related problems of system design dependent on materials factors. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Mechanical Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of physical systems used in manufacturing and end-product systems used for specific uses, including machine tools, jigs and other manufacturing equipment; stationary power units and appliances; engines; self-propelled vehicles; housings and containers; hydraulic and electric systems for controlling movement; and the integration of computers and remote control with operating systems. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Metallurgical Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and metallurgical principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of metal components of structural, load-bearing, power, transmission, and moving systems; and the analysis of engineering problems such as stress, creep, failure, alloy behavior, environmental fluctuations, stability, electromagnetic and thermodynamic characteristics, optimal manufacturing processes, and related design considerations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Mining and Mineral Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of mineral extraction, processing and refining systems, including open pit and shaft mines, prospecting and site analysis equipment and instruments, environmental and safety systems, mine equipment and facilities, mineral processing and refining methods and systems, and logistics and communications systems. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Nuclear Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of systems for controlling and manipulating nuclear energy, including nuclear power plant design, fission reactor design, fusion reactor design, reactor control and safety systems design, power transfer systems, containment vessels and structures design; and the analysis of related engineering problems such as fission and fusion processes, human and environmental factors, construction, and operational considerations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Petroleum Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of systems for locating, extracting, processing and refining crude petroleum and natural gas, including prospecting instruments and equipment, mining and drilling systems, processing and refining systems and facilities, storage facilities, transportation systems, and related environmental and safety systems. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Systems Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of total systems solutions to a wide variety of engineering problems, including the integration of human, physical, energy, communications, management, and information requirements as needed, and the application of requisite analytical methods to specific situations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Manufacturing Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply scientific and mathematical principles to the design, development, and implementation of manufacturing systems. Includes instruction in materials science and engineering, manufacturing processes, process engineering, assembly and product engineering, manufacturing systems design, and manufacturing competitiveness. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Operations Research
      • A program that focuses on the development and application of complex mathematical or simulation models to solve problems involving operational systems, where the system concerned is subject to human intervention. Includes instruction in advanced multivariate analysis, application of judgment and statistical tests, optimization theory and techniques, resource allocation theory, mathematical modeling, control theory, statistical analysis, and applications to specific research problems. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Geological/Geophysical Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and geological principles to the analysis and evaluation of engineering problems, including the geological evaluation of construction sites, the analysis of geological forces acting on structures and systems, the analysis of potential natural resource recovery sites, and applied research on geological phenomena. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of computer controlled electro-mechanical systems and products with embedded electronics, sensors, and actuators; and which includes, but is not limited to, automata, robots and automation systems. Includes instruction in mechanical engineering, electronic and electrical engineering, computer and software engineering, and control engineering. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Biological/Biosystems Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and management of biological systems; and includes applications to biology, biochemistry, ecology, and microbiology. Includes instruction in organic chemistry; microbiology; biochemistry; chemical, biological, biochemical, and process engineering; thermodynamics; process control; kinetics and reactor design; electric circuits; biosystem modeling; and bioelectronics and instrumentation. See other colleges that offer this major
  • ENGINEERING/ENGINEERING-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS
    • Engineering/Industrial Management
      • A program that focuses on the application of engineering principles to the planning and operational management of industrial and manufacturing operations, and prepares individuals to plan and manage such operations. Includes instruction in accounting, engineering economy, financial management, industrial and human resources management, industrial psychology, management information systems, mathematical modeling and optimization, quality control, operations research, safety and health issues, and environmental program management. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS
    • Mathematics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Computational and Applied Mathematics
      • A program that focuses on the application of a broad range of mathematical and computational methods to modeling, analysis, algorithm development, and simulation for the solution of complex scientific and engineering problems. Includes instruction in numerical analysis, discrete mathematics, operations research, optimization, differential equations, statistics, scientific computation, and applications to specific scientific and industrial topics. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES
    • Behavioral Sciences
      • A program with a combined or undifferentiated focus on the social sciences, psychology, and biomedical sciences to study complex problems of human individual and social growth and behavior. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Data Science, General
      • A program that focuses on the analysis of large scale data sources from the interdisciplinary perspectives of applied statistics, computer science, data storage, data representation, data modeling, mathematics, and statistics. Includes instruction in computer algorithms, computer programming, data management, data mining, information policy, information retrieval, mathematical modeling, quantitative analysis, statistics, trend spotting, and visual analytics. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PHYSICAL SCIENCES
    • Chemistry, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Geology/Earth Science, General
      • A program that focuses on the scientific study of the earth; the forces acting upon it; and the behavior of the solids, liquids and gases comprising it. Includes instruction in historical geology, geomorphology, and sedimentology, the chemistry of rocks and soils, stratigraphy, mineralogy, petrology, geostatistics, volcanology, glaciology, geophysical principles, and applications to research and industrial problems. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Geochemistry
      • A program that focuses on the scientific study of the chemical properties and behavior of the silicates and other substances forming, and formed by geomorphological processes of the earth and other planets. Includes instruction in chemical thermodynamics, equilibrium in silicate systems, atomic bonding, isotopic fractionation, geochemical modeling, specimen analysis, and studies of specific organic and inorganic substances. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Geophysics and Seismology
      • A program that focuses on the scientific study of the physics of solids and its application to the study of the earth and other planets. Includes instruction in gravimetric, seismology, earthquake forecasting, magnetrometry, electrical properties of solid bodies, plate tectonics, active deformation, thermodynamics, remote sensing, geodesy, and laboratory simulations of geological processes. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Hydrology and Water Resources Science
      • A program that focuses on the scientific study of the occurrence, circulation, distribution, chemical and physical properties, and environmental interaction of surface and subsurface waters, including groundwater. Includes instruction in geophysics, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, chemical physics, geomorphology, mathematical modeling, hydrologic analysis, continental water processes, global water balance, and environmental science. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
    • Physics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of matter and energy, and the formulation and testing of the laws governing the behavior of the matter-energy continuum. Includes instruction in classical and modern physics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, mechanics, wave properties, nuclear processes, relativity and quantum theory, quantitative methods, and laboratory methods. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Physics, Other
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
    • Economics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of mathematical and statistical analysis of economic phenomena and problems. Includes instruction in economic statistics, optimization theory, cost/benefit analysis, price theory, economic modeling, and economic forecasting and evaluation. See other colleges that offer this major

Types of Degrees Offered

  • Certificate
  • Associate's degree
  • Bachelor's degree
  • Master's degree
  • Doctoral degree
No Information for this section

Admissions

Undergraduate acceptance rate

Acceptance rate
56.88%
  • Apply 12,022
  • Accepted 6,838
  • Attend 1,449

Application Fee

Undergraduate
$25
Graduate
$60

Undergraduate application requirements

  • High school transcript

    Required

  • High school GPA

    Required

  • Recommendation letter

    Not applicable

  • Admissions test
    (SAT or ACT)

    Not applicable

  • TOEFL
    (international students)

    Required

  • Completion of college
    prep program

    Required

  • Demonstration of
    competencies

    Not applicable

Average sat scores

Half of the freshman class scored within these ranges. 25% scored lower and 25% scored higher. 2020 data.

Math
Reading

Average act scores

Half of the freshman class scored within these ranges. 25% scored lower and 25% scored higher. 2020 data.

Composite
No Information for this section

Student Life

Student Demographics

Female Students
31%
Male Students
69%
Student Ethnicities
  1. Caucasian66.65%
  2. Two Or More Ethnicities14.08%
  3. Hispanic/Latino10.38%
  4. Asian4.72%
  5. Not Specified2.69%
  6. Black1.1%
  7. American Indian/Alaska Native0.35%
  8. Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.03%

Student body breakdown

Total students enrolled

7,281

Undergraduate students

5,479

Graduate students

1,802

Attendance breakdown

Full time
90%
Part time
10%

Student services

  • Meal plan
  • Counseling services
  • Remedial services
  • Work-study
  • Placement services
  • Study abroad
  • Weekend/evening classes
  • On-campus day care for student's children

Top five largest sports teams

Male sports:
  • Baseball
  • Track and Field, X-Country
  • Wrestling
  • Soccer
  • Track and Field, Outdoor
Female sports:
  • Soccer
  • Swimming
  • Softball
  • Volleyball
  • Track and Field, Indoor
Full List of Athletics

Full List of Athletics X

    • Male

    • Baseball
    • Wrestling
    • Track and Field, X-Country
    • Soccer
    • Track and Field, Outdoor
    • Track and Field, Indoor
    • Swimming
    • Basketball
    • Golf

    • Female

    • Soccer
    • Swimming
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Track and Field, Outdoor
    • Track and Field, Indoor
    • Track and Field, X-Country
    • Basketball
No Information for this section

Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center of Education Statistics, Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule). Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.