CU Denver Rankings - CU Denver News
Source: https://news.ucdenver.edu/cu-denver-rankings
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:13
CU Denver Rankings - CU Denver News
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April 7, 2026
Contents
CU Denver is committed to helping students meet their moment, graduate, and pursue meaningful careers that contribute to the communities they live in.
Our students change the world by changing their own lives because we are a
highly accessible institution that propels students into
higher earnings
. That means students who might not otherwise have access to higher education are able to leverage their experience here to realize the life of their dreams. It’s no surprise that
U.S. News and World Report
consistently ranks us No. 1 in Colorado for social mobility.
But it’s not just about having access to education—it’s about having opportunities to build the careers our students want. National rankings show how we support our students during their time at CU Denver and after.
Read more about our students here.
A Focus on Student Success
Consistently, our rankings show a commitment to students and their lifelong goals. For example,
the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
designates CU Denver, combined with our sister campus CU Anschutz, as a high-access institution. Graduates of these two campuses also earn more than $2 million dollars across their lifetimes, according to the
University of Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce.
U.S. News & World Report
Rankings
For the fifth consecutive year, CU Denver is ranked No. 1 in Colorado for social mobility by
U.S. News & World Report
. Additionally, many of our
programs
are among the best in the nation.
2026 Best Colleges
Based in the heart of Denver’s downtown business corridor, the Business School’s
business program
is in the top five in Colorado.
The
economics program
in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is in the top five in Colorado and in the Rocky Mountain region. In the same college, the
psychology program
is in the top five in both Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region.
The College of Engineering, Design and Computing’s
computer science program
is in the top 10 in the state.
2026 Online Programs
The Business School’s
online business bachelor program
is ranked No. 1 in the state.
The School of Public Affairs’ criminal justice online master’s program is
ranked among the top 25 programs
in the nation for the eighth consecutive year and ranked No. 1 in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region.
The online bachelor’s degree in psychology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is tied for No. 1 in Colorado.
2026 Best Graduate Programs
Nine of CU Denver’s graduate programs earned the No. 1 spot in Colorado in the 2026 list of top graduate programs. The featured programs in the Business School and School of Public Affairs cover relevant topics like healthcare management, local government management, and more (view the full list below). An
additional 14 programs
placed among the top 75 nationally within their disciplines.
Business School
International MBA
Information Systems Management MBA
Healthcare Management
School of Public Affairs
Public Affairs
Local Government Management
Environmental Policy and Management
Nonprofit Management
Public Management and Leadership
Public Finance
Note: In some cases,
U.S. News & World Report
uses broader category titles that vary slightly from CU Denver’s official program names.
Niche
College Rankings 2026
CU Denver is No. 1 in Colorado for diversity and best faculty in the latest
Niche
college rankings
.
The combination of top rankings in these areas shows that students recognize the incredible teaching and culture that CU Denver has to offer.
Unlike other university rankings,
Niche
utilizes nearly 500,000 college reviews from real students, giving authentic and credible insight into what students
really
think about their college, in addition to using
trustworthy data
sources like the U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation.
The Wall Street Journal
Rankings 2026 for America’s Best Colleges
CU Denver is ranked No. 1 in Colorado for social mobility and is regarded for overall value and post-graduation salaries.
The Wall Street Journal
‘s
ranking is one of the largest independent surveys of verified college students in the U.S. Around 110,000 undergraduates and recent undergraduate alumni are anonymously surveyed on topics like career preparation, learning opportunities, and campus life to find the top schools in the country.
Military Friendly 2026-27
CU Denver and CU Anschutz, jointly, have again been recognized as a
MilitaryFriendly® School
. Together, we are ranked in the gold category for tier 1 research universities. Tier 1 represents very high research spending and doctorate production and is based on
Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
data. This recognition marks a jump from our tier 2 designation in 2025. We are also recognized as a Military Spouse Friendly School for tier 1 research universities.
We have been included in these rankings for more than a decade. To learn more about our commitment to military-connected students and available resources, visit the
Veteran & Military Student Services website
.
Carnegie Commission on Higher Education R1 Research Institution
Designation 2025
CU Denver has once again been ranked an R1 institution in conjunction with
CU Anschutz
. This means we are among a select group of research universities nationwide conducting cutting-edge and life-changing research according to the
Carnegie Commission on Higher Education
.
R1 classification, or “Very High Research Activity” status, is reserved for institutions that demonstrate exceptional research output, doctoral degree production, and investment in science and engineering. Among the nearly 4,000 degree-granting universities in the U.S., only 187 were awarded this designation in 2025, which makes CU Denver and CU Anschutz part of an important group of higher education institutions dedicated to advancing scientific discoveries and medical breakthroughs.
Angeles Higher Education Impact Award 2025
CU Denver has been recognized as an Angeles Higher Education Impact Award Honoree for 2025. This award recognizes institutions that drive impact through leadership, innovation, and support of entrepreneurs.
Career Connected Campus Designation 2024 to 2027
To recognize Colorado’s institutions of higher education that set a high standard for how to engage in practices that prepare students for employment, the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) developed a new campus designation called
CDHE’s Career Connected Campus
. CU Denver is the only urban research institution in the state of Colorado to hold this designation.
A career-connected college or university is committed to empowering students with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to succeed in their chosen careers and make meaningful contributions to their respective industries.
ShanghaiRanking 2003 to 2024
CU Denver and CU Anschutz have jointly been
included
among ShanghaiRanking’s
Academic Ranking of World Universities
(ARWU) since 2003 (the inaugural year). ARWU ranks world universities using several objective indicators related to research, including the number of highly cited researchers, number of articles published in journals of nature and science, per capita performance of a university, and number of alumni and staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals. Additionally, several of CU Denver’s programs are included in
Shanghai Global Rankings of Academic Subjects
since 2017, including:
Public Administration: 51 to 75 out of 200
Sociology: 76 to 100 out of 300
Education: 151 to 200 out of 500
Psychology: 151 to 200 out of 500
Skip to content
April 7, 2026
Contents
CU Denver is committed to helping students meet their moment, graduate, and pursue meaningful careers that contribute to the communities they live in.
Our students change the world by changing their own lives because we are a
highly accessible institution that propels students into
higher earnings
. That means students who might not otherwise have access to higher education are able to leverage their experience here to realize the life of their dreams. It’s no surprise that
U.S. News and World Report
consistently ranks us No. 1 in Colorado for social mobility.
But it’s not just about having access to education—it’s about having opportunities to build the careers our students want. National rankings show how we support our students during their time at CU Denver and after.
Read more about our students here.
A Focus on Student Success
Consistently, our rankings show a commitment to students and their lifelong goals. For example,
the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
designates CU Denver, combined with our sister campus CU Anschutz, as a high-access institution. Graduates of these two campuses also earn more than $2 million dollars across their lifetimes, according to the
University of Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce.
U.S. News & World Report
Rankings
For the fifth consecutive year, CU Denver is ranked No. 1 in Colorado for social mobility by
U.S. News & World Report
. Additionally, many of our
programs
are among the best in the nation.
2026 Best Colleges
Based in the heart of Denver’s downtown business corridor, the Business School’s
business program
is in the top five in Colorado.
The
economics program
in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is in the top five in Colorado and in the Rocky Mountain region. In the same college, the
psychology program
is in the top five in both Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region.
The College of Engineering, Design and Computing’s
computer science program
is in the top 10 in the state.
2026 Online Programs
The Business School’s
online business bachelor program
is ranked No. 1 in the state.
The School of Public Affairs’ criminal justice online master’s program is
ranked among the top 25 programs
in the nation for the eighth consecutive year and ranked No. 1 in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region.
The online bachelor’s degree in psychology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is tied for No. 1 in Colorado.
2026 Best Graduate Programs
Nine of CU Denver’s graduate programs earned the No. 1 spot in Colorado in the 2026 list of top graduate programs. The featured programs in the Business School and School of Public Affairs cover relevant topics like healthcare management, local government management, and more (view the full list below). An
additional 14 programs
placed among the top 75 nationally within their disciplines.
Business School
International MBA
Information Systems Management MBA
Healthcare Management
School of Public Affairs
Public Affairs
Local Government Management
Environmental Policy and Management
Nonprofit Management
Public Management and Leadership
Public Finance
Note: In some cases,
U.S. News & World Report
uses broader category titles that vary slightly from CU Denver’s official program names.
Niche
College Rankings 2026
CU Denver is No. 1 in Colorado for diversity and best faculty in the latest
Niche
college rankings
.
The combination of top rankings in these areas shows that students recognize the incredible teaching and culture that CU Denver has to offer.
Unlike other university rankings,
Niche
utilizes nearly 500,000 college reviews from real students, giving authentic and credible insight into what students
really
think about their college, in addition to using
trustworthy data
sources like the U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation.
The Wall Street Journal
Rankings 2026 for America’s Best Colleges
CU Denver is ranked No. 1 in Colorado for social mobility and is regarded for overall value and post-graduation salaries.
The Wall Street Journal
‘s
ranking is one of the largest independent surveys of verified college students in the U.S. Around 110,000 undergraduates and recent undergraduate alumni are anonymously surveyed on topics like career preparation, learning opportunities, and campus life to find the top schools in the country.
Military Friendly 2026-27
CU Denver and CU Anschutz, jointly, have again been recognized as a
MilitaryFriendly® School
. Together, we are ranked in the gold category for tier 1 research universities. Tier 1 represents very high research spending and doctorate production and is based on
Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
data. This recognition marks a jump from our tier 2 designation in 2025. We are also recognized as a Military Spouse Friendly School for tier 1 research universities.
We have been included in these rankings for more than a decade. To learn more about our commitment to military-connected students and available resources, visit the
Veteran & Military Student Services website
.
Carnegie Commission on Higher Education R1 Research Institution
Designation 2025
CU Denver has once again been ranked an R1 institution in conjunction with
CU Anschutz
. This means we are among a select group of research universities nationwide conducting cutting-edge and life-changing research according to the
Carnegie Commission on Higher Education
.
R1 classification, or “Very High Research Activity” status, is reserved for institutions that demonstrate exceptional research output, doctoral degree production, and investment in science and engineering. Among the nearly 4,000 degree-granting universities in the U.S., only 187 were awarded this designation in 2025, which makes CU Denver and CU Anschutz part of an important group of higher education institutions dedicated to advancing scientific discoveries and medical breakthroughs.
Angeles Higher Education Impact Award 2025
CU Denver has been recognized as an Angeles Higher Education Impact Award Honoree for 2025. This award recognizes institutions that drive impact through leadership, innovation, and support of entrepreneurs.
Career Connected Campus Designation 2024 to 2027
To recognize Colorado’s institutions of higher education that set a high standard for how to engage in practices that prepare students for employment, the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) developed a new campus designation called
CDHE’s Career Connected Campus
. CU Denver is the only urban research institution in the state of Colorado to hold this designation.
A career-connected college or university is committed to empowering students with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to succeed in their chosen careers and make meaningful contributions to their respective industries.
ShanghaiRanking 2003 to 2024
CU Denver and CU Anschutz have jointly been
included
among ShanghaiRanking’s
Academic Ranking of World Universities
(ARWU) since 2003 (the inaugural year). ARWU ranks world universities using several objective indicators related to research, including the number of highly cited researchers, number of articles published in journals of nature and science, per capita performance of a university, and number of alumni and staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals. Additionally, several of CU Denver’s programs are included in
Shanghai Global Rankings of Academic Subjects
since 2017, including:
Public Administration: 51 to 75 out of 200
Sociology: 76 to 100 out of 300
Education: 151 to 200 out of 500
Psychology: 151 to 200 out of 500