Mission Statement and Campus Profile
Western Colorado University delivers career preparation, engineering, computer and other sciences and a liberal arts curriculum to 2,900 intellectually adventurous students in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.
Our university’s small size, unique setting and low-cost ensure students receive personalized attention, gain hands-on experience and graduate without taking on excessive debt. We are proud to serve our state and country by preparing our students to make meaningful contributions in Colorado and beyond. From cybersecurity experts to social workers and teachers, Western Colorado University graduates become preeminent leaders in their fields.
Mission Statement
Western Colorado University promotes intellectual maturity and personal growth in its students and prepares them to assume constructive roles in local, national and global communities. Western’s distinctive character emerges from its unity among academic and professional disciplines, high standards of scholarship, and a unique environment in the mountains of western Colorado.
Facts & Figures
The following statistics reflect the most recent stable data compiled by the institution. For more information, visit Western’s profile on the National Center for Education Statistics website.
Fall 2019 Data
Source: Western Colorado University Office of Institutional Research
Institutional Profile
Established: 1901
Location: Gunnison, Colorado
Type: Public, 4-year
Religious affiliation: None
Highest degree offered: Master’s
Student-to-faculty ratio: 18 to 1
Mascot: Mad Jack the Mountaineer
Colors: Crimson and slate
Graduation rate: 51%
Admissions
Applicants admitted: 84%
Financial Aid
Students considered for aid: 100%
Students who receive aid: 80%
Enrollment
Total enrollment: 3,418
Undergraduate: 3,015
Graduate: 403
Male: 51%
Female: 49%
In-state: 76%
Out-of-state: 24%
Ethnic Diversity
White: 59%
Hispanic: 16%
Black or African American: 4%
Multi-Race: 2%
Asian: <1%
American Indian or Alaska Native: <1%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: <1%
Unknown/Other: approx. 20%
Inclusion
Diversity is a core value at Western Colorado University, as it’s central to education. We know people of different backgrounds bring various experiences and perspectives to the classroom and community. We strive to foster a respectful, welcoming learning and social environment.
“Western Colorado University takes a firm and unyielding stance in support of diversity, inclusivity, scientific inquiry and creative expression. We believe these principles are necessary for the free and open inquiry that defines our role as a public institution in a democratic society. We believe that these principles are a moral imperative requiring constant vigilance and a firm stance against actions motivated by hate or intimidation. The university welcomes people of color, people with disabilities, people of all genders and orientations, people of all religious preferences, immigrants and refugees regardless of national origin or ethnicity and other underrepresented communities regardless of socioeconomic class. We actively seek to build a civil and respectful culture which affirms these principles in all that we do.”
Both the Board of Trustees and President Greg Salsbury endorsed the above Statement on Diversity and Inclusion authored and adopted by the Faculty Senate.
Awards
