Located in Gunnison, CO, Western Colorado University offers a small town community at 7703' with 300+ days of sunshine, a Dark Sky Park, 2 million acres of public land to explore, and a high quality education.

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Academics:

The school has about 2,700 undergraduates, 400 graduate students, an average class size is 16, and 69% of classes are taught by full time professors. Western offers 90+ majors and minors for a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, or a Bachelor of Science. STEM programs are housed in the cutting edge Paul M. Rady School of Computer Science and Engineering. Degrees in Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering are offered in partnership with CU Boulder. For pre-med students, there is a 92% admit rate to medical school, and students in the education department can spend their 4th year of school anywhere globally for a full year of residency. In addition, there is a vibrant art scene in both Gunnison and Crested Butte, as well as a recently remodeled art center. Finally, there are 7, 3+2 programs, that allow students to graduate in 5 years with both a Bachelor's and Master's degree (https://western.edu/school/accelerated-degree-programs/). Incoming students who have declared a major are matched with a faculty mentor in the field. Undecided students are matched with a faculty advisor through the exploratory program. Western offers both math and writing centers that are staffed by upperclassmen majoring in the fields.

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Social Life:

Every entering student is paired with an EPIC mentor (a junior or senior) to help with the transition to college. There are 50+ clubs and organizations on campus, including a Western Mountain Rescue Team. Wilderness Pursuits offers trips, high quality rental equipment, and a bike and ski tuning shop. Study abroad is a popular option and students can choose between 2 weeks, summer, semester, or yearlong trips with many different partnerships. The office of study abroad helps students to customize their experiences. Student services offers a health clinic and a mental health clinic both of which are staffed by professionals. Career Services helps with local jobs, internships, and careers. 

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Athletics:

Western has NCAA DII Varsity teams, including Esports, 7 Mountain Sport teams, and 25+ clubs and intramural teams. Western is home to the highest college gym in the world!

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Financial Aid:

Western is transparent in their pricing and aid. Students from Wyoming are eligible for the WUE (Western Undergraduate Exchange program). Merit scholarships are renewable for four years and are based on High School GPA, and there are program scholarships within each department. An application fee waiver is available, students just need to contact the Admissions Office. Here is a link to the scholarship tiers (click the tab Merit Scholarships, first year students): https://western.edu/admissions-aid/financial-aid/scholarships/