Western Colorado University
University, Graduate school in Gunnison, The United States
Western Colorado University is a university in Gunnison, in the Gunnison Valley on Colorado's Western Slope. It was established in 1901 as Colorado State Normal School, the first college on the Western Slope, and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The university has about 2,900 students and a student-to-faculty ratio of 17:1.
Western offers more than 110 programmes built around a traditional liberal arts curriculum and hands-on learning. Special pathways include:
- Engineering Partnership Program, with the first two years at Western and years three and four at CU
- Traditional Nursing Program (two years in the formal nursing programme)
- Accelerated Nursing Program (one year)
Tuition depends on residency: Colorado residents pay less than non-residents and international students, and the university states that 90% of its students receive financial aid. Applying is free. First-year students must live on campus for two years, in traditional residence halls or on-campus apartments, with meal plans available.
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Fees
Tuition and fees for the 2026-27 academic year (per year, in US dollars):
- Colorado residents: tuition $7,632 after the COF stipend ($11,112 without COF), required fees $4,064; with a double room ($5,773) and a 15-meal-per-week board plan ($5,598) the total direct cost is $23,517
- Non-residents and international students: tuition $21,360
- Optional fees: $450 (campus recreation $400, renewable energy $30, scholarly activity $20)
Some departments charge course-specific fees, and tuition may change.
Housing
First-year students must live on campus for their first two years. Housing options are traditional residence halls and on-campus apartments, with meal plans and dining on campus. For the 2026-27 academic year, a double room costs $5,773 and a 15-meal-per-week board plan $5,598 per year.
Subjects taught
- Arts, Design and Crafts
- Jewelry and Metals
- Art Studio
- Sculpture
- Ceramics
- Painting
- Graphic Design
- Art Studies
- Photography
- Theatre
- Performing Arts
- Music
- Fine Arts
- Business
- Business Administration
- Entrepreneurship
- Resource Management
- Management
- Marketing
- Communications
- Creative Writing
- Cinema/Film Studies
- Communications
- Economics
- Economics
- Education
- Physical Education
- Teacher Preparation
- Education
- Finance
- Finance
- Accounting
- Hospitality, Leisure, Tourism and Travel
- Hotel Management
- Humanities
- History
- Liberal Arts
- Art History
- Law
- Criminal Justice
- Philology, Languages, Literature
- English Language and Literature (in Universities)
- Spanish Language and Literature (in Universities)
- French Language and Literature (in Universities)
- Pre-professional studies
- Pre-Medicine
- Sciences
- Environmental Studies
- Computer Science
- Political Science
- Environmental Chemistry
- Biology
- Wildlife Resources
- Environmental Biology
- Cellular and Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
- Forensic Science
- Anthropology
- Geology
- Ecology
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Social and Cultural studies
- Latin American Studies
- Technology
- Printing Technology