Location: Golden, CO

Undergrad Student Pop: Approximately 6,000 (medium)

Type: Public

FUN FACTS: The Colorado School of Mines

1. 1. Jeez That’s Old! – The Colorado School of Mines is older than the state of Colorado itself! Mines was founded on February 9th, 1874, while the United States welcomed Colorado as the 38th state on August 1st, 1876.
   2. Freshman Tradition – Freshman partake in the tradition known as the M Climb to start their college experience at Mines. Each incoming student is expected to carry a 10 pound rock from their hometown up Mt. Zion to add to the “M”- an 11,000 square foot rock formation.
   3. Two Racing Burros! – The Colorado School of Mines mascot Blaster the Burro is an actual donkey, and there are currently two of them- Winkie and Pepsi. Winkie is a trained racing burro who handles the touchdown sprints at football games, while Pepsi is the social burro who participates in school events and poses for pictures. While Pepsi interacts with students and visitors, many rules are enforced to maintain a healthy and safe environment for everyone.
   4. Cardboard Boat Race – A three day festival known as Engineering Days (E-Days) takes place every spring allowing the students to take a break from classes and partake in campus wide events. The celebration dates back to 1934 and features a Tesla coil demonstration, a milk-hurling trebuchet contest, a carnival, live concerts, and fireworks. The main event of E-Days is the Cardboard Boat Race, a competition in which teams of students build boats made from cardboard and race them down Clear Creek in downtown Golden.
   5. Feat of Strength – An annual tradition known as the Ore Cart Pull kicks off the E-Days celebration. This event has students pulling a heavy mining ore cart 7.5 miles down one of the longest commercial streets in the US – West Colfax Avenue- from Lakewood Park to Sculpture Park in downtown Denver. Upon arrival, the students are welcomed by the marching band and the Colorado governor who then reads an official statement, declaring the start of E-Days.

TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS: The Colorado School of Mines

To help students determine if a school is a good fit for them, it’s important to consider these three aspects of each school on your list. Evaluate each school based, in part, on the following:

ACADEMIC – As a strong STEM school with an emphasis on engineering, Mines is a great fit for a student who wants to attend a mid-sized university and would prefer most of their classes to be STEM based. They offer a broad array of engineering disciplines, a substantial set of interdisciplinary majors, and a minor in explosions. Mines emphasizes project-based learning, starting with a first year design class and ending with a capstone project. The academic environment is collaborative and encourages students to work with each other.

FINANCIAL – The Colorado School of Mines is a public school, so it is much less expensive for residents of Colorado. Even out of state, however, it costs significantly less than a private university, and the school routinely offers merit aid to out of state students, making it a relatively affordable option.

SOCIAL – If your idea of a fun Friday night is heading over to the smelting lab to pour liquid aluminum into a cast you made, then Mines is the place for you. (The aluminum comes from the scraps generated at the local Coors plant when they make their cans.) Students at Mines study hard, and their social life is often low key. While Greek life and parties are there, many students head to the outdoors when they have down time, biking, hiking and skiing in the beautiful area surrounding Golden, CO.

PRO TIP WHEN VISITING: The Colorado School of Mines

If you visit Mines, you should make sure to visit the Mines Museum of Earth Sciences to see the Apollo 17 moon rock – it’s free and close to campus.

If you have more time… You can arrange a visit to the Edgar Experimental Mine in Idaho Springs, roughly 30 minutes west of the Golden campus. It is not part of the normal admissions tour, but gives a student the opportunity to experience an actual gold/silver/lead/copper mine. It’s not just a mine, either. Mines is building an advanced quantum particle physics research facility there as well.

For a more outdoor experience… Head to Triceratops Trail, a 1.5 mile loop that takes hikers past actual Triceratops footprints in a sandstone wall, complete with interpretative stops and a trail guide.

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