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Western Colorado University

Overview

At a Glance

School type

Public, 4-year or above

Faculty

180 Faculty Members | 25:1 student faculty ratio

Religious affliation

Not applicable

General Information

Address

Western Colorado University

1 Western Way, Gunnison, Colorado 81231

See on Map
Phone

(970) 943-2119

Website
www.western.edu/

Mission Statement

Western Colorado University fulfills its statutory mission by promoting intellectual maturity and personal growth in its students, and graduates citizens prepared to assume constructive roles in local, national and global communities. Western Colorado University helps its students develop the skills and commitments needed to continue learning throughout their lives and strives to elucidate the connections unifying academic domains, which have traditionally existed separately: the sciences, liberal arts and professional programs. The University provides students with a solid foundation of skills in written and spoken communication, problem solving, critical thinking and creativity. Our programs encourage a breadth and depth of knowledge to serve as a foundation for a professional career or graduate study, and an appreciation of values appropriate to a liberally educated individual. Western Colorado University's distinctive character emerges from its unity among academic and professional disciplines, its high standards of scholarship and its unique environment in the mountains of Western Colorado.

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Mission Statement

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Western Colorado University fulfills its statutory mission by promoting intellectual maturity and personal growth in its students, and graduates citizens prepared to assume constructive roles in local, national and global communities. Western Colorado University helps its students develop the skills and commitments needed to continue learning throughout their lives and strives to elucidate the connections unifying academic domains, which have traditionally existed separately: the sciences, liberal arts and professional programs. The University provides students with a solid foundation of skills in written and spoken communication, problem solving, critical thinking and creativity. Our programs encourage a breadth and depth of knowledge to serve as a foundation for a professional career or graduate study, and an appreciation of values appropriate to a liberally educated individual. Western Colorado University's distinctive character emerges from its unity among academic and professional disciplines, its high standards of scholarship and its unique environment in the mountains of Western Colorado.

No Information for this section

cost & financial aid

Annual tuition & fees

Undergraduate

In state

$10,646

Out of state

$22,430
Graduate

In state

$17,371

Out of state

$17,371

Financial Aid: Undergraduates

Received financial aid
94%
Did not receive aid
6%
Type of aid % of students recieving aid Average amount
Federal grants 33.0% $5,313
State/local grants 36.0% $2,368
Institutional grants 83.0% $5,370
Loans 56.0% $6,381

Financial aid resources

Paying for college

Learn about different ways to cover costs, incluing financial aid, GI Bills, grants and scholarships

Applying for financial Aid

Review this step-by-step guide on everything you need to do to complete your application.

No Information for this section

Academics

Most Popular Undergraduate majors

  • Business Administration and Management, General
  • Psychology, General
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
  • Exercise Science and Kinesiology
  • Environmental Studies
Full List of Majors

Undergraduate Majors X

  • BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
    • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
      • A general program of biology at the introductory, basic level or a program in biology or the biological sciences that is undifferentiated as to title or content. Includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Business Administration and Management, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to plan, organize, direct, and control the functions and processes of a firm or organization. Includes instruction in management theory, human resources management and behavior, accounting and other quantitative methods, purchasing and logistics, organization and production, marketing, and business decision-making. Examples: [General Management], [Business Administration] See other colleges that offer this major
    • Accounting
      • A program that prepares individuals to practice the profession of accounting and to perform related business functions. Includes instruction in accounting principles and theory, financial accounting, managerial accounting, cost accounting, budget control, tax accounting, legal aspects of accounting, auditing, reporting procedures, statement analysis, planning and consulting, business information systems, accounting research methods, professional standards and ethics, and applications to specific for-profit, public, and non-profit organizations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, AND RELATED PROGRAMS
    • Speech Communication and Rhetoric
      • A program that focuses on the scientific, humanistic, and critical study of human communication in a variety of formats, media, and contexts. Includes instruction in the theory and practice of interpersonal, group, organizational, professional, and intercultural communication; speaking and listening; verbal and nonverbal interaction; rhetorical theory and criticism; performance studies; argumentation and persuasion; technologically mediated communication; popular culture; and various contextual applications. See other colleges that offer this major
  • COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Computer and Information Sciences, General
      • A general program that focuses on computing, computer science, and information science and systems. Such programs are undifferentiated as to title and content and are not to be confused with specific programs in computer science, information science, or related support services. See other colleges that offer this major
  • EDUCATION
    • Elementary Education and Teaching
      • A program that prepares individuals to teach students in the elementary grades, which may include kindergarten through grade eight, depending on the school system or state regulations. Includes preparation to teach all elementary education subject matter. See other colleges that offer this major
  • ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS
    • English Language and Literature, General
      • A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples. See other colleges that offer this major
  • FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS
    • Spanish Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the Spanish language and related dialects. Includes instruction in philology; Modern Castillan; Latin American and regional Spanish dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
  • HISTORY
    • History, General
      • A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration. See other colleges that offer this major
  • LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL STUDIES AND HUMANITIES
    • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
      • A program that is a structured combination of the arts, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities, emphasizing breadth of study. Includes instruction in independently designed, individualized, or regular programs. 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
  • NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION
    • Environmental Studies
      • A program that focuses on environment-related issues using scientific, social scientific, or humanistic approaches or a combination. Includes instruction in the basic principles of ecology and environmental science and related subjects such as policy, politics, law, economics, social aspects, planning, pollution control, natural resources, and the interactions of human beings and nature. Examples: [Ecosystem Studies] See other colleges that offer this major
  • PARKS, RECREATION, LEISURE, FITNESS, AND KINESIOLOGY
    • Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies
      • A program that focuses on the principles underlying recreational and leisure activities, and the practices involved in providing indoor and outdoor recreational facilities and services for the general public. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Exercise Science and Kinesiology
      • A scientific program that focuses on the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and biophysics of human movement, and applications to exercise and therapeutic rehabilitation. Includes instruction in biomechanics, motor behavior, motor development and coordination, motor neurophysiology, performance research, rehabilitative therapies, the development of diagnostic and rehabilitative methods and equipment, and related analytical methods and procedures in applied exercise and therapeutic rehabilitation. 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
  • PSYCHOLOGY
    • Psychology, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods. See other colleges that offer this major
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
    • Anthropology, General
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of human beings, their antecedents and related primates, and their cultural behavior and institutions, in comparative perspective. Includes instruction in biological/physical anthropology, primatology, human paleontology and prehistoric archeology, hominid evolution, anthropological linguistics, ethnography, ethnology, ethnohistory, socio-cultural anthropology, psychological anthropology, research methods, and applications to areas such as medicine, forensic pathology, museum studies, and international affairs. See other colleges that offer this major
    • 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
    • Political Science and Government, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Includes instruction in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies of specific political institutions and processes. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Sociology, General
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems. See other colleges that offer this major
  • VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
    • Fine/Studio Arts, General
      • A program that prepares individuals to generally function as creative artists in the visual and plastic media. Includes instruction in the traditional fine arts media (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, CAD/CAM) and/or modern media (ceramics, textiles, intermedia, photography, digital images), theory of art, color theory, composition and perspective, anatomy, the techniques and procedures for maintaining equipment and managing a studio, and art portfolio marketing. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music, General
      • A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of music and the performing arts. Includes instruction in music, dance, and other performing arts media. See other colleges that offer this major

Most Popular Graduate programs

  • Education, General
  • Environmental Studies
  • Business Administration and Management, General
  • Creative Writing
  • Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology
Full List of Programs

Graduate ProgramsX

  • BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
    • Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology
      • A program that focuses on the scientific study of the physiological processes involved in physical or motor activity, including sensorimotor interactions, response mechanisms, and the effects of injury, disease, and disability. Includes instruction in muscular and skeletal anatomy; molecular and cellular basis of muscle contraction; fuel utilization; neurophysiology of motor mechanics; systemic physiological responses (respiration, blood flow, endocrine secretions, and others); fatigue and exhaustion; muscle and body training; physiology of specific exercises and activities; physiology of injury; and the effects of disabilities and disease. See other colleges that offer this major
  • BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Business Administration and Management, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to plan, organize, direct, and control the functions and processes of a firm or organization. Includes instruction in management theory, human resources management and behavior, accounting and other quantitative methods, purchasing and logistics, organization and production, marketing, and business decision-making. Examples: [General Management], [Business Administration] See other colleges that offer this major
  • EDUCATION
    • Education, General
      • A program that focuses on the general theory and practice of learning and teaching, the basic principles of educational psychology, the art of teaching, the planning and administration of educational activities, school safety and health issues, and the social foundations of education. See other colleges that offer this major
  • ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS
    • Creative Writing
      • A program that focuses on the process and techniques of original composition in various literary forms such as the short story, poetry, the novel, and others. Includes instruction in technical and editorial skills, criticism, and the marketing of finished manuscripts. See other colleges that offer this major
  • NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION
    • Environmental Studies
      • A program that focuses on environment-related issues using scientific, social scientific, or humanistic approaches or a combination. Includes instruction in the basic principles of ecology and environmental science and related subjects such as policy, politics, law, economics, social aspects, planning, pollution control, natural resources, and the interactions of human beings and nature. Examples: [Ecosystem Studies] See other colleges that offer this major
  • VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
    • Fine and Studio Arts Management
      • A program that prepares individuals to organize and manage fine and studio art organizations, operations, and facilities. Includes instruction in business and financial management; marketing and fundraising; personnel management and labor relations; event promotion and management; public relations and arts advocacy; arts law; and applications to specific arts activities such as galleries, museums, studios, foundations, and community organizations. Examples: [Visual Arts Management] 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
88.5%
  • Apply 2,625
  • Accepted 2,323
  • Attend 420

Application Fee

Undergraduate
$30
Graduate
$50

Undergraduate application requirements

  • High school transcript

    Required

  • High school GPA

    Required

  • Recommendation letter

    Recommended

  • Admissions test
    (SAT or ACT)

    Required

  • 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
50%
Male Students
50%
Student Ethnicities
  1. Caucasian59.44%
  2. Hispanic/Latino17.45%
  3. Not Specified11.49%
  4. Black4.5%
  5. Two Or More Ethnicities4.28%
  6. Asian2.0%
  7. American Indian/Alaska Native0.53%
  8. Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.31%

Student body breakdown

Total students enrolled

4,527

Undergraduate students

3,905

Graduate students

622

Attendance breakdown

Full time
61%
Part time
39%

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:
  • All Track Combined
  • Football
  • Wrestling
  • Basketball
  • Fencing
Female sports:
  • All Track Combined
  • Swimming and Diving
  • Soccer
  • Basketball
  • Volleyball
Full List of Athletics

Full List of Athletics X

    • Male

    • All Track Combined
    • Football
    • Wrestling
    • Basketball

    • Female

    • All Track Combined
    • Swimming and Diving
    • Soccer
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
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.