Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Colorado State University-Fort Collins is the main constituent part of the state’s flagship institution. Established in 1870 as Colorado Agricultural College, its research investment, which has surpassed $308 million a year, is among the highest of any institution nationally.

Fort Collins, situated near Rocky Mountain foothills, is best-known for its microbreweries, bicycles and sustainability. It is 60 miles from Denver, but actually closer to Cheyenne, the state capital and largest city of Wyoming. 

CSU-Fort Collins’ eight colleges teach health and human sciences, liberal arts, engineering, agricultural sciences, veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences, and natural resources.

Alumni include Jon Rubinstein, one of the main creators of Apple’s iPod and iMac, and Yusef Komunyakaa, the first African-American man to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.