University of Colorado--Boulder

School mission (as provided by the school):

The University of Colorado Boulder (CU-Boulder), a major research and teaching university, is a dynamic community of scholars and learners situated on a beautiful campus at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. CU-Boulder is one of 35 U.S. public institutions belonging to the prestigious Association of American Universities and the only member in the Rocky Mountain region. While it is a major research university and Colorado's flagship university, the campus maintains an intimate college atmosphere with many small academic communities and 87% of classes enrolling fewer than 50 students. The university has a proud academic tradition, with 4 Nobel laureates, 7 MacArthur 'genius grant' recipients, and 105 Fulbright scholars since 1982. CU-Boulder was ranked the top green university in the nation in Sierra magazine's 2009 listing of greenest colleges, and was one of only three U.S. colleges and universities to receive a 2007 Presidential Award for General Community Service. CU-Boulder produced 117 Peace Corps volunteers in 2010, the most among all U.S. colleges and universities. The university received more than $454 million in sponsored research funding during the 2010 fiscal year. Faculty members bring their research into the classroom in areas such as physics, space sciences, and the American West. CU-Boulder offers more than 3,600 courses in approximately 150 areas of study and 80 majors at the bachelor's level. Undergraduates apply to the following colleges and schools: Architecture & Planning, Arts & Sciences, Leeds School of Business, Engineering & Applied Science, Music, Journalism & Mass Communication, and Education. University facilities include an observatory, planetarium, mountain research station, a hands-on teaching and learning laboratory for engineering, and the futuristic Alliance for Teaching, Learning, & Society Center, a structure that offers the university community groundbreaking instructional technology and learning opportunities. Outstanding departments and programs include aerospace engineering, astrophysical & planetary sciences, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, engineering, English, entrepreneurial business, geography, integrative physiology, law, music, physics, and psychology. Undergraduate specialty programs in aerospace engineering and business entrepreneurship ranked in the top 20 nationally in U.S. News & World Report's 2011 Americas Best Colleges issue. Talented undergraduate students participate in a variety of enrichment opportunities on campus, including honors programs, the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, and 12 residential academic programs that offer specialized living and learning communities featuring top faculty and small-class environments. Students come from every state in the nation and about 100 countries. Many ethnic, religious, and social backgrounds are represented, fostering a multicultural community that enriches each student's educational experience. Students from diverse backgrounds may receive academic, personal, and financial support through one of the CU-Lead (leadership, excellence, achievement, and diversity) alliance programs housed in various colleges and departments. The Study Abroad Office administers 335 CU-Boulder-sponsored programs in 70 countries around the world with more than 1,000 students participating annually. CU-Boulder competes in 14 intercollegiate sports at the Division I level, is a member of the Pac 12 Conference, and maintains one of the nation's largest club sports programs, supporting more than 30 intercollegiate teams in sports such as ice hockey, triathlon, and ultimate Frisbee. The campus offers art galleries, a natural history museum, theaters, concert halls, and an extensive calendar of social and cultural events, highlighted by the annual Conference on World Affairs, musical performances by the Grammy Award-winning Takacs Quartet, and the world-renowned Colorado Shakespeare Festival.