Colorado School of Mines is a university located in Golden, Colorado that focuses on engineering and applied science. Founded in 1874, the public research and teaching university has ranked in the top 100 schools in the “U.S. News & World Report” ranking, and the school has also ranked highly for its engineering programs. The school was originally built to accommodate the need for an institution of higher learning in the region and served as the Jarvis Hall Collegiate School before it would become the School of Mines in the 1870s. Today, the school has around 5,700 students attending classes on its suburban campus of approximately 373 acres.

Colorado School of Mines Accreditation

Colorado School of Mines is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission to award all degrees up to the doctoral level by the North Central Association (NCA) of the commission. Additionally, many of the school’s programs are accredited by groups like the American Chemical Society and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Students who attend an accredited program for undergraduate or graduate study may have an easier time finding a school in which to continue their studies. It’s common for universities to require that applicants hold a degree from an accredited school.

Colorado School of Mines Application Requirements

Freshman applicants to Colorado School of Mines must take a variety of classes in high school to qualify for admission, as well as reach certain benchmarks for scores on standardized tests. Students must complete four years of English, four years of mathematics, three years of history, and three years of lab sciences. In mathematics, students must complete trigonometry or pre-calculus, and in science, students must study chemistry or physics with the college recommending students study both. Students must graduate with a GPA of 3.74 to 4.00 on a 4.00 scale, have an ACT composite score between 29 to 32, and have SAT scores of 1370 to 1470. Recent admissions data suggests the school received around 12,500 applications and sent admittance letters to around 4,600 students. Around 1,000 students enrolled out of those who were accepted.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Colorado School of Mines is a public school and charges different tuition for in-state students versus out-of-state students. An in-state student can expect to pay approximately $32,600 for a year of enrollment, and an out-of-state student can expect to pay around $51,000 for a year of school. These tuition amounts include a variety of costs like tuition, fees, room & board, books & supplies, transportation, and personal expenses. Tuition works out to $523 per credit hour for in-state students and $1,134 per credit hour for out-of-state students. Students can reduce their attendance costs by living with their parents rather than dealing with room and board fees.

Students who attend Colorado School of Mines are eligible for federal financial aid, private financial aid, and scholarships. In addition to submitting a FAFSA form for financial aid through the federal government, students can also apply for scholarships through the school. The school uses a student’s official application to determine eligibility for scholarships. The school recommends that students also apply for outside scholarships that aren’t connected with the school.

Computer Science Degrees at Colorado School of Mines

The faculty at Colorado School of Mines reveals that the Computer Science department is the fastest growing program at the college. The school is proud of its status as a top-ranked public university and suggests that it prepares “tomorrow’s leaders” in computer science and engineering science. The school offers computer science majors at the undergraduate and graduate levels and recommends that students who enjoy solving problems, engaging in logical thinking, and seeking out patterns are well suited to the program. The school’s curriculum represents a balance between practice and theory.

Students can expect to study many facets of the industry, from discrete structures and algorithmic analysis to software engineering and operating systems. Some of the classes a student might expect to take include Computer Organization, Discrete Mathematics, Algorithms, and Programming Concepts. The overall undergraduate curriculum includes classes in a variety of disciplines, from physical science and math to programming and computer theory. In addition to a set of required computer science classes, students are also allowed to take several electives in an area of computer science that interests them.

Similar to the undergraduate program, students in the graduate program in computer science at Colorado School of Mines will also study a variety of topics that include applied algorithms and data structures, high-performance computing, and networking. Students will also learn about security, machine learning, and human-centered robotics. Some of the classes a student will take in graduate school will feature elements of other disciplines, such as electrical engineering.

Future students who know they want to attend graduate school after receiving a bachelor’s degree may wish to entertain a combined BS/MS degree. The benefit of a combination program is that a student can finish both degrees quickly, as well as reduce the amount of time spent applying to a graduate program during the final year of undergraduate school. Students who enroll in the combined program will begin their graduate courses while still finishing the bachelor’s degree in computer science.

One of the reasons students may wish to consider the computer science program at Colorado School of Mines is the prevalence of computer science jobs in today’s world that offer high pay and many opportunities for full-time work. An analysis cited by the school revealed that Systems Engineers, IT Project Managers, Computer/Network Security Consultants, and Software Developers were some of the best-paid careers in the nation. Computer science graduates would be able to seek out employment in any one of these careers after completing a bachelor’s degree or a graduate degree in computer science.

The school also suggests that future career success isn’t the only reason a student might want to choose a career in computer science. According to an article cited by the school from the “Wall Street Journal,” software engineers were at the top of the list when it came to job happiness. Computer systems analysts weren’t far behind and came in at position number four out of ten. With the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) suggesting continued and strong growth of the computer industry, a computer science degree from Colorado School of Mines could provide a student with excellent career opportunities.

Related resource:

50 Most Advanced University Computer Science Departments 2016