Our University

Rankings and Accolades

Updated May 2012

Because of CSU’s excellence in achieving its mission of education, innovative research, and statewide outreach, the university receives many top rankings and accolades of which Coloradans be proud.

Student research

30% of all of Colorado's science, math, engineering and technology majors pursue degrees at CSU.

  • CSU ranks in the top tier of the nation's best universities and is one of the top 20 that makes writing a priority as a critical element of student success, according to the 2012 U.S. News and World Report "America's Best Colleges and Universities" edition.
  • Colorado State University has been named to the Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine list of "100 Best Values in Public Colleges" for 2011-12. The ranking cites four-year schools that combine outstanding education with economic value.
  • In March 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranked CSU's veterinary medicine professional doctorate program in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in the top three among programs of its kind throughout the United States.
  • The graduate program in the Department of Occupational Therapy in the College of Applied Human Sciences — a "Program of Excellence" designated by the state of Colorado — ranked sixth in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report.
  • CSU's College of Business offers one of the best MBA programs in the nation, according to an October 2011 announcement by The Princeton Review, a New York-based education services company. CSU's MBA program also was ranked No. 4 in The Princeton Review's Top 10 "Most Family Friendly" category.
  • CSU is among the top military friendly schools in the nation, according to G.I. Jobs magazine. The 2012 Military Friendly Schools list honors the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America's military service members and veterans as students.
  • The College of Business at CSU has been recognized for its outstanding leadership in integrating social, environmental and ethical issues into its Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise MBA program. The Aspen Institute's 2011-2012 edition of "Beyond Grey Pinstripes," an independent, biennial survey and global ranking of business schools, ranked the GSSE program at CSU number 27 on its list of the Top 100 MBA Programs in the world.
  • CSU is in the top four nationally for solar power at major public research universities, according to a new report released in October 2011 by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, or AASHE.
  • In 2010 and 2011, the "Education" issue of Popular Science released in September listed the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory in CSU's College of Engineering as one of the 25 Most Awesome College Labs.
  • When it filed in September 2011, CSU had achieved the highest score among 129 reporting universities participating in a national survey of higher education institutions dedicated to sustainability measures - the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Reporting System known as STARS.
  • In June 2011, Wired magazine singled out CSU's Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory in its listing of Fort Collins as one of "The Emerging Epicenters" for innovation and high-tech job growth in green technology.
  • CSU ranked among the best schools in the nation in Forbes' annual ranking of the Top Colleges for 2011, which was released in August. CSU ranked 61st among public universities and also made the Forbes Top 100 Best Buy Colleges list, ranking 45th among all private and public universities.
  • CSU was named as one of the country's best institutions for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company features the school in the new 2012 edition of its annual college guide, "The Best 376 Colleges," which was on newsstands in August.
  • The Fiske Guide to Colleges — also released in August — features CSU in the 2012 edition. The Fiske Guide features more than 300 of the country's best and most interesting colleges and universities.
  • CSU also ranked highly in the summer of 2011 in multiple international rankings issued by such institutions as the QS World University Rankings and the Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
  • In June, Diverse Issues in Higher Education listed CSU among the Top 100 Producers of Minority Degrees for 2011. The rankings include institutions that confer the most degrees to minority students.
  • In April, Princeton Review named CSU as one of the nation's top colleges with a strong commitment to sustainability initiatives and activities because of its many green initiatives including a new minor in sustainability, a 5.3-megawatt solar plant and biomass boiler.
  • The university ranks sixth in the nation in the number of graduate alumni serving in the Peace Corps and in the top 15 for undergraduates, according to 2012 rankings released this week by the volunteer organization.
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