Colorado College

William Jackson Palmer, founder of Colorado Springs and founding trustee of Colorado College Colorado College was founded in 1874 on land designated by U.S. Civil War veteran General William Jackson Palmer , the founder of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad and of Colorado Springs. [ 7 ] Founder Thomas Nelson Haskell of the Presbyterian Church [ 8 ] described it as a coeducational liberal arts college in the tradition of Oberlin College . As many U.S. colleges and universities that have endured from the 19th century, it now is secular in outlook but retains its focus on the liberal arts. [ 9 ] Cutler Hall , the college's first building, was completed in 1880 and the first degrees were conferred in 1882. [ 10 ] William F. Slocum , president from 1888 to 1917, oversaw the initial building of the campus, expanded the library and recruited top scholars in a number of fields. [ 7 ] In 1930, Shove Chapel was erected by John Gray to meet the religious needs of the students (though Colorado College is not religiously affiliated). [ citation needed ] Katharine Lee Bates wrote " America the Beautiful " during her summer teaching position at Colorado College in 1893. Manya Whitaker served as interim president from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. Her term as president began July 1, 2025 after being appointed as the college's 15th president by the CC Board of Trustees in June 2025. [ 11 ]

Russell T. Tutt Science Center at Colorado College Colorado College offers 42 majors and more than 30 minors. [ 12 ] In addition to its undergraduate programs, the college offers two master's degree programs in teaching. [ 13 ] The college uses a block plan wherein students take only one class at a time, for a period of 3 and a half weeks per class. [ 14 ] In 2023, the institution yielded a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1. The college's Charles L. Tutt Library holds over 400 thousand physical volumes. [ 15 ] Its most popular undergraduate majors, by 2021 graduates, were: [ 16 ] Economics (43) Political Science & Government (38) Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (28) Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies (25) Computer & Information Sciences (23) Psychology (23) Cell/Cellular & Molecular Biology (22) Admissions Major general William H. Gill served as President of Colorado College 1947-1955 and during his tenure completed the reorganization of the college, an honor system was introduced together with self-government for the student body. He also established ROTC program and remodeled the athletic department, which led to the college winning the NCAA hockey championship during his administration. [ 17 ] . Colorado College is considered a "most selective school" by U.S. News & World Report . [ 18 ] For the class of 2026, Colorado College received a record number of applications, 11,026, and admitted just above eleven percent of those who applied. Those accepted who identified themselves as students of color numbered twenty-five percent. The Class of 2026 is geographically diverse, representing 15 countries and 47 states, with 24 percent who hail from both the Northeast and the West; 17 percent from Colorado; 16 percent from the Midwest; and 15 percent from the South. [ 19 ]

Quick facts Academic rankings, Liberal arts ... Academic rankings Liberal arts U.S. News & World Report [ 20 ] 29 Washington Monthly [ 21 ] 86 National Forbes [ 22 ] 111 WSJ /College Pulse [ 23 ] 111 Close In its 2025 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranks Colorado College as tied for 29th best liberal arts college in the nation and 3rd most innovative national liberal arts colleges. [ 24 ] The most innovative schools are those "making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities". [ 25 ] In 2025, Forbes rated it 111th overall in "America's Top Colleges", which ranked 500 national universities, liberal arts colleges and service academies. [ 26 ] CC is one of six colleges in the western US included in the guidebook The Hidden Ivies . [ 27 ]

Students must satisfactorily complete 32 credits to graduate in addition to specifying a major of study and fulfilling those requirements. The college offers a unique alternative for students who wish to design their own major. However, standardized cross-cutting requirements still apply, though these criteria are fairly broad compared to those at comparable colleges. [ 28 ]