Colorado Mountain College

Colorado Mountain College: Academics, Admissions & Tuition Info

Learn what degree and certificate programs Colorado Mountain College offers. Research its academics, and read about its admission and financial aid to make an informed education decision.

About Colorado Mountain College

Colorado Mountain College (CMC) serves around 25,000 students throughout nine counties. This public school, which was founded in 1967, now includes 11 campuses in Aspen, Breckenridge, Dillon, Carbondale, Buena Vista, Edwards, Glenwood Springs and Rifle. The Leadville, Steamboat Springs and Spring Valley campuses are residential colleges. In addition to academic training, the college offers students access to sports teams like alpine skiing, soccer, disc golf and cycling. At over 10,000 feet, CMC's Leadville campus boasts the title of highest elevated college in the country.

Academics

Students at CMC can choose from around 100 training and degree programs in almost 15 areas of study. While many of the training programs vary from campus to campus, each CMC campus offers general education courses and associate's degrees for transfer to 4-year universities. The college is part of the Guaranteed General Education Project, which guarantees that credits are transferable to all 4-year Colorado institutions. CMC also awards bachelor's degrees in business administration and sustainability studies.

Each of the 11 campuses offers unique programs, many of which are specific to the ski resorts and wilderness areas that surround the colleges. For example, the Steamboat Springs campus offers resort management, Aspen offers a physical activities program, Edwards offers sustainable cuisine, Spring Valley offers outdoor education, and Leadville offers natural resource management. Other popular programs are nursing, EMT and business.

Admissions

Prospective students can start the admissions process by filling out the free online application and submitting high school transcripts. CMC also requires a prospective student to take placement tests in math and reading unless the student earned at least a 440 in reading and 460 in math on the SAT. CMC recommends that students set up an advising appointment before registering for classes. The college maintains an open admissions policy except for a few selective programs, including nursing, culinary arts, photography and natural resource management.

Interested students can visit the residential campuses by appointment or on one of the pre-scheduled visit days that take place from October through April. Students who have already decided to enroll in one of the residential campuses are advised to sign up for new student orientation. The student body in fall 2011 was 55% female and 31% full-time. Also in fall 2011, 80% of all students were from Colorado.

Tuition & Financial Aid

The cost of tuition for the 2012-2013 academic year was $56 per credit for in-district students (those who went to high school in the CMC district), $95 per credit for in-state students and $299 per credit for out-of-state students. Students seeking a bachelor's degree at CMC paid $95 per credit in-district, $200 per credit in-state and $405 per credit out-of-state. In 2011-2012, the average cost for on-campus housing was $9,000, and the average cost for books and supplies was $1,200.

Students can apply for federal and state financial aid through FAFSA, which begins accepting applications on January 1st and has a priority deadline of March 31st for the following academic year. CMC has a separate application for its own merit- and need-based scholarships made possible through the Colorado Mountain College Foundation. The application window for these scholarships is January 1st through March 31st. Eligible students can find work-study jobs through CMC's student jobs webpage. All students can enroll in the FACTS monthly payment plan.

COLORADO MOUNTAIN COLLEGE QUICK FACTS
School Type	Public, 2-year (select 4-year programs)*
Degrees Offered	Certificate programs, associate's, bachelor's*
Religious Affiliation	None*
Academic Calendar	Semester**
School Setting	Mountain towns**
Student Body	Nearly 25,000 students (all undergraduate) in 2012**
Student Housing	Yes - at the Spring Valley (Glenwood Springs), Leadville and Steamboat Springs campuses**
ACADEMICS
Programs	Around 100 programs in roughly 13 areas of study**
Student-Faculty Ratio	13 to 1**
Most Popular Fields of Study by Degree Level (Number of Recipients)	In 2011: Certificate: Health professions (293)* Associate's: Liberal arts and sciences (264)*
Graduation Rates	For students who began in 2005: 24% of students graduated and 53% transferred within 150% of the normal time*
ADMISSIONS
Admission Rate	Open admissions**
Entering Class Size	388 part-time and 403 full-time students in 2011*
First-Year Retention Rates	45% of part-time and 59% of full time students who began in fall 2010*
Application Due Date	Rolling admissions**
TUITION & FINANCIAL AID
Tuition (2012-2013)	In-district students: $56 per credit In-state students: $95 per credit Out-of-state students: $299 per credit**
Financial Aid Sources Available (Percent of Students Receiving it)	For full-time beginning students in 2010-2011: Federal grant aid (36%), state/local grants and scholarships (22%), institutional grants/scholarships (5%), student loan aid (53%)*
Percent of Students Receiving Some Form of Aid	64% of first-time beginning students in 2010-2011*

Sources: *National Center for Education Statistics, **Colorado Mountain College.

School Contact Info

Address: Central Administration and Admissions, 802 Grand Ave., Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
Phone: (970) 945-8691
Website: www.coloradomtn.edu