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Western Colorado University
Gunnison, CO
Western Colorado University is a public liberal arts university located in Gunnison, Colorado. With a stunning backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, the university offers a unique and enriching educational experience for its students. Founded in 1901 as a teacher's college, Western Colorado University has grown into a comprehensive university with a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs across various disciplines.
What sets Western Colorado University apart is its commitment to personalized education. The university boasts a student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1, ensuring that students receive individual attention and guidance from their professors. This close-knit community allows for meaningful interactions, fosters a supportive learning environment, and cultivates strong mentorship relationships. Furthermore, the university offers experiential learning opportunities such as internships, research projects, and field experiences to enhance the academic journey and prepare students for their future careers.
Western Colorado University prides itself on its strong academic programs and diverse range of majors that cater to students' individual interests and passions. Whether it's in the fields of business, arts and sciences, education, environmental studies, or professional studies, students have the opportunity to pursue their chosen paths with dedicated faculty and state-of-the-art facilities. The university also offers a range of extracurricular activities, clubs, and organizations to ensure a well-rounded experience for its students. With its breathtaking location, personalized attention, and quality academic programs, Western Colorado University offers a unique and fulfilling educational experience.
Located in Gunnison, CO and set in a rural environment, Western Colorado University is a public comprehensive higher education institution. This school uses a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 97%. The freshman retention rate at Western Colorado University is 73% and the six-year graduation rate is 47%.
Read more about what Western Colorado University has to offer based on the most recent data this institution has reported.
Quick Facts
3,569
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
97%
Acceptance Rate
16:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
47%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
If you know as much as possible about the institution's criteria for admission, your chances of getting accepted will significantly increase. Here are the most relevant facts you should know about admission policy and requirements at Western Colorado University.
In 2022, the school accepted 3,200 new students. Looking at entrance difficulty level for all or most incoming freshmen, based on data self-reported by the institution this school is moderately difficult to get into.
Test Scores
29% of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students submitted their SAT scores for admission, and 10% submitted ACT scores, out of the overall number of those who submitted test scores. 2.46% of the first-year students submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 30.33% between 1,200 and 1,399, 45.9% between 1,000 and 1,199, 20.49% between 800 and 999, and 0.82% of the students between 600 and 799. The percent of new students who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 19.51, 36.59 between 24-29, 39.02 in the range between 18-23, and 4.88 between 12-17.
The latest reported average GPA of the enrolled students was 3.39. That means you'll most likely need an above-average GPA to get accepted.
Retention Rate
The freshman retention rate is the percentage of college or university first-year students who return for their sophomore year. This piece of data is important as it can reveal to the prospective students how many freshmen liked the school enough to return to it as sophomores.
As reported in 2022, the freshman retention rate for Western Colorado University was 73%, demonstrating the exceptional quality of the educational experience at this institution.
Another important metric to consider is the graduation rate. This rate indicates how many students finish their degrees within a certain timeframe. At this academic institution, the proportion of students graduating in six years is 47%.
Student Body
It is never easy to figure out which school is the perfect place for you. Knowing more about the student population can help you get a better idea of the school's culture and life.
Main Student Body
In 2022, the school had an enrollment of 4,053 students.
That year, the school had 27% of students coming from another state. The total number of undergraduate students enrolled at the school was 3,569, 13 of which were foreign students. The number of transfer students at this school was 106.
Student Population Gender Ratio
With a coeducational student body, the school had 1,003 male and 834 female full-time students in 2022. 116 full-time graduate men and 199 full-time graduate women attended this school.
Student Population Diversity
Higher Education is dedicated to increasing student diversity and enhancing students' feelings of inclusion and belonging. An inclusive student body brings together individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Discover more about the many ethnic communities that go to this school.
This school had 19 Asian students and 52 Afro-American students in 2022. 213 students at this school declared as Hispanic/Latino and 63 identified with more than one race. The school also had 3 students who declared as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, as well as 19 American Indian or Alaska Native students. There were also 73 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
The financial aspect is one of the most important things to consider before applying to any college or university. Here are some important facts on Western Colorado University costs that most students encounter at this school.
Tuition and Fees
Here are some facts that can be useful if you were curious about Western Colorado University estimated tuition price.
For the students who live in the area, the tuition cost was $7,308, as reported by public county or municipal institutions. Tuition fees were $20,424 for students coming from out of state. If you are an international student at Western Colorado University, you should know that the 2022 tuition amounted to $20,424, as well. Fees per academic year required of full-time students totaled $4,010 in 2022.
| Tuition | Fees | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-State | $20,424 | $4,010 | $24,434 |
| In-State | $7,308 | $4,010 | $11,318 |
Books and Supplies
When you try to estimate the cost of attendance for a college or university, you need to take into account the cost of books and supplies you're going to need. Most students have to spend about $1,350 for books and supplies during their time at Western Colorado University.
Boarding
Before you apply to a college or university, you should, among other things, think about the price of a dorm room and cafeteria meals. What do colleges and universities typically charge for room and board?
In 2022, room and board cost at Western Colorado University amounted to $10,760 a year. Room-only (on campus) cost per academic year at this school cost $5,463, according to the data from 2022.
| Tuition | $ 7,308 |
| Room and Board | $ 10,760 |
| Book and Supplies | $ 1,350 |
| Total Expense | $ 19,418 |
Financial Aid
There are different types of financial help: grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study programs. Check out some recent data to get the information about need-based and non-need-based aid available at Western Colorado University.
The most recent records show that 259 freshmen received some sort of financial help. The average amount of financial aid given to students was $13,631.
Need-based
Need-based aid is financial aid that a student can receive if they are determened to have financial need and meet other eligibility criteria.
906 students received some form of need-based financial aid. Need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid at Western Colorado University is available to international students. The total number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need came to be 909. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution was $2,159,275, and state $1,247,570. The students of Western Colorado University received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $5,273,527, and external in the amount of $336,676.
$5,047
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Non-need-based financial aid is any type of financial aid provided to a student who does not meet the criteria for need-based aid. Non-need-based student aid typicaly comes in a form of Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the Teacher Education Access for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.
892 students, including freshmen, were awarded institutional non-need-based financial aid at this school in 2022. 250 full-time freshmen were awarded institutional non-need-based scholarship or grant aid. The total amount of institutional scholarships and awards that were not based on financial need was $3,118,024. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers. $403,270 was the amount that the students at this institution got from external sources (like Kiwanis and National Merit).
Majors
Faculty
16:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
The student-to-faculty ratio can tell you a lot about the teaching resources a school provides for its students.
According to the most recent data, the student-faculty ratio at Western Colorado University was 16:1: that means 16 students per one teacher. This school has recently reported to have 141 faculty members. Out of that number, there were 98 men and 56 women.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
Not everything at Western Colorado University is about learning and grades: campus life is an essential part of your educational experience. Check out some information about students' life at Western Colorado University.
Its campus is 381 acres in size.
Student Organizations
Participating in different student organizations can make your educational experience more interesting and fulfilling.
The number of student organizations and groups with open membership at this school is 60. The most popular student organization is Program Council, followed by Peak Productions and Omicron Delta Kappa. Other popular student organizations at this school are Mountain Search and Rescue Team and Student Government Association.
There is a drama club you can join if acting is something that interests you. Interested in media and communication? Western Colorado University publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station.
Student Services
Western Colorado University offers a number of services vital for a comfortable and safe life on campus.
There are 24-hour emergency phone and alarm devices. There are electronically operated dormitory entrances. There is a 24-hour security patrol. The transport/escort service operates during late hours.
This school has a health clinic with personal/psychological counseling. All in all, campus life at Western Colorado University is rich and vibrant and provides everything most students need.
Career Services
Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at Western Colorado University.
Career Counselling
At Western Colorado University, there is both group career counseling for all students and individual career counseling for all students. There are a library, a job bank, and job fairs. Job interviews are also available to students through the career center. There is campus employer recruitment for all the students. This school offers alumni networking opportunities, which could be excellent for your future career.
FAQ
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Western Colorado University is located in Gunnison, CO.
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Western Colorado University offers need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid to international students.
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The most recent data indicate that the acceptance rate for Western Colorado University is 97%.
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The most recent data indicate that the freshman retention rate for Western Colorado University is 73%.
Contact Information
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.