Mission & Campus Profile

Established: 1901
Location: Gunnison, Colorado
Type: Public, 4-year
Religious affiliation: None
Highest degree offered: Master’s
Student-to-faculty ratio: 17 to 1
Mascot: Mad Jack the Mountaineer
Colors: Crimson and slate
Graduation rate: 51%

Applicants admitted: 97%

Students considered for aid: 100%
Students who receive aid: 90%

Total enrollment: 3,548
Undergraduate: 3,095
Graduate: 453
Male: 51%
Female: 49%
In-state: 72%
Out-of-state: 28%

White: 56%
Hispanic: 23%
Black or African American: 5%
Multi-Race: 3%
Asian: 3%
American Indian or Alaska Native: 1%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: 1%
Unknown/Other: approx. 7%

STUDENT OUTCOME DATA

Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning

The mission of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning at Western Colorado University is to enhance the university’s ability to make informed decisions through rigorous data analysis, comprehensive strategic planning, and continuous improvement of academic and administrative functions. Our vision is to be a transformative force at Western Colorado University that drives excellence and innovation in liberal arts higher education by fostering a culture of evidence-based decision-making, accountability, and proactive strategic management.

Education Licensure Data

Download the Institutional Data Set containing the following:

• Enrollment
  Enrollment (All student levels)

• First Time Freshman Retention Rates
  Retention Rate defined (source IPEDS glossary)
  A measure of the rate at which students persist in their educational program at an institution, expressed as a percentage. For four-year institutions, this is the percentage of first-time bachelors (or equivalent) degree-seeking undergraduates from the previous fall who are again enrolled in the current fall. For all other institutions this is the percentage of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students from the previous fall who either re-enrolled or successfully completed their program by the current fall. 

  Fall to fall retention rate of first-time freshman cohort by year of matriculation
  Full Time
  	Headcount	% retained
  2018	501	64%
  2019	449	67%
  2020	412	74%
  2021	455	74%
  2022	439	74%

• Four- and Six-Year Graduation Rates
  Graduation Rate defined (source IPEDS glossary)
  Data are collected on the number of students entering the institution as full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students in a particular year (cohort), by race/ethnicity and gender; the number completing their program within 150 percent of normal time to completion; the number that transfer to other institutions if transfer is part of the institution’s mission. 

  Graduation rate of first-time freshmen listed by cohort year
  Full time
  	4 Year	6 Year
  2013	28%	51%
  2014	28%	50%
  2015	29%	48%
  2016	28%	47%
  2017	32%	46%

• Major Head Counts
  Undergraduate Majors 

  Head Count Majors	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
  ACC	44	22	19	25	21
  ADC				5	26
  ANTH	18	17	16	14	11
  ART	106	107	85	83	72
  BIOL	242	247	218	217	215
  BUAD	398	361	323	317	307
  CHEM	32	35	31	28	25
  COM	67	78	70	75	55
  CS	61	67	83	104	128
  ECON	41	33	34	20	20
  EDUC	57	59	51	49	48
  ENG	47	53	42	44	36
  ENVS	136	130	111	97	98
  ESS	170		148	152	166
  GEOL	44	41	33	29	28
  HIST	47	41	29	37	30
  MATH	50	48	38	30	26
  MUS	21	21	18	18	16
  NTR				6	6
  PHYS			2	110	132
  POLS	63	65	47	43	39
  PSY	150	130	107	130	133
  ROE	157	116	97	104	82
  SOC	89	84	94	77	63
  SPAN	13	11	8	10	13
  UNDCL	139	135	168	75	48

• FTE-S Generated by Program Code
  Undergraduate FTES 

  FTES	2018-19	2019-2020	2020-2021	2021-2022	2022-2023
  ACC	44.63	34.37	28.6	27.73	25.50
  ADC				0.13	1.10
  ANTH	41.4	34	25.7	31.30	23.50
  ART	95.83	92.67	85.47	80.13	74.33
  BIOL	143.33	153.7	147.03	155.73	148.3o
  BUAD	194.63	167.8	171.03	169.13	157.60
  CHEM	63.47	69.33	61.97	65.33	63.57
  COM	123.7	135.4	116.3	120.17	109.97
  CS	43	51.77	65.37	76.33	83.00
  ECON	65.2	64.4	48.63	50.30	50.00
  EDUC	20.18	27.9	26.57	22.07	28.47
  ENG	144.4	153.03	132.27	172.70	125.43
  ENGR		4.7	12.7	14.83	29.23
  ENVS	64.47	64.3	61.7	55.97	55.13
  ESS	101.43	83.5	73.13	78.37	90.33
  GEOG	19.5	16.5	14.57	15.30	14.89
  GEOL	61.61	55.97	44.5	47.20	39.53
  HIST	50.87	50.6	56.03	47.40	48.33
  HNRS	14.4	13.5	13.6	19.93	27.00
  HWTR	18.87	17.23	15.43	16.97	15.63
  MATH	151.17	168.87	188.3	186.53	199.10
  MUS	59.55	44.78	37.73	37.67	28.65
  PHIL	23.6	25.6	28	29.60	30.57
  PHYS	38.57	48.13	56.93	66.40	68.13
  POLS	61.67	49.5	51.8	61.93	56.27
  PSY	114.33	98	114	133.27	154.07
  ROE	116.97	99.4	120.1	154.17	52.10
  SCI	8.97	9.2	6.47	8.03	0.60
  SOC	76.9	103	94.1	90.40	89.40
  SPAN	15.6	10.63	16.8	31.40	19.90

See more outcome data on the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard site, or the National Center for Educational Statistics College Navigator page.

Common Data Set

• 2007-2008
• 2008-2009
• 2009-2010
• 2010-2011
• 2011-2012
• 2012-2013
• 2013-2014
• 2014-2015
• 2015-2016
• 2016-2017
• 2017-2018
• 2018-2019
• 2019-2020
• 2020-2021
• 2021-2022
• 2022-2023
• 2023-2024