The University of Colorado Boulder is the flagship of the University of Colorado system, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. It is best known for aerospace engineering, physics, environmental science and business, with more NASA funding than any other public university. Choose it for a research-heavy degree in one of the most scenic college towns in the US.
Boulder, United States
Official website: colorado.edu
#317
Top 10 in the US (U.S. News)
5 in physics, all on the faculty
Member
$34,000 – $42,000
International students, non-resident undergraduate and master's rates
$16,000 – $22,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on colorado.edu before you apply.
MS Computer Science
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 75
MS Aerospace Engineering Sciences
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 75
MS Electrical Engineering
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 75
MS Data Science
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 75
MBA (Leeds School of Business)
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 100
BS Aerospace Engineering
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 75
Aerospace engineering ranked top 10 in the US — more NASA funding than any other public university.
Five Nobel laureates in physics on the faculty, including JILA atomic physics researchers.
Boulder — a startup and outdoor-sports town at 1,600 metres, with Flatirons trails from campus.
Leeds School of Business — AACSB-accredited, strong in entrepreneurship and sustainability.
Graduates join Lockheed Martin, Ball Aerospace, Google's Boulder office, Amazon and NASA.
STEM master's graduates can work in the US for up to three years on OPT.
Aerospace graduates report median starting salaries around USD 80,000-90,000.
Denver's tech corridor, 30 minutes away, hires heavily from the engineering and business schools.
Undergrad
15 Jan 2027
Postgrad
Varies by programme
Undergrad
1 Oct 2026
Postgrad
Varies by programme
The campus is known for its sandstone buildings and red-tile roofs, set against the Flatirons rock formations, with the engineering centre and business school on the east side.
Boulder is a small, affluent city with hundreds of miles of trails, a strong startup scene and 300 days of sunshine. Rent is high for a college town; Denver is 45 minutes away.
Form I-20 issued by CU Boulder
Proof of funds for one academic year
SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt
Completed DS-160 online application
US embassy or consulate interview
Passport valid six months beyond stay
For fall 2027 undergraduate entry, Early Action closes 1 November 2026 and Regular Decision closes 15 January 2027; spring 2027 entry closes 1 October 2026. Graduate deadlines are set by each programme, with most engineering and computer science master's closing between 1 December and 1 February.
Undergraduates can start in fall (August) or spring (January). Most engineering, computer science and data science master's programmes also admit for spring, while the Leeds MBA is fall only. Check your programme's admissions page to confirm.
You need an F-1 student visa. International Student and Scholar Services issues your Form I-20 after you accept the offer and submit proof of funding. Then pay the SEVIS fee, complete the DS-160 and book an interview at a US embassy or consulate.
Computer science, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, data science and the Leeds MBA attract the most international applicants. Graduate admission needs a bachelor's degree with a GPA of at least 3.0, TOEFL 75-100 or IELTS 6.5-7.0, and the GRE for some programmes. Undergraduate admission is holistic, with an acceptance rate around 80%.
CU Boulder offers a limited number of merit scholarships to international undergraduates, considered automatically if you apply by the Early Action deadline; need-based aid is not available. Graduate students can apply for teaching and research assistantships, which are common in aerospace, physics and engineering.
