About METROPOLITAN STATE COLLEGE of DENVER

A fully accredited, four-year institution, Metropolitan State College of Denver serves more than 21,000 students. Metro State consistently educates more in-state undergraduates than any other state institution and now has the second-largest undergraduate student population in Colorado.

One of the largest public baccalaureate colleges in the country, Metro State continues to experience significant growth, with enrollment increases the last 14 out of 16 semesters.

Now over 40 years old, Metro State boasts more than 57,000 alumni, 90 percent of whom stay in Colorado after graduation putting their education to work as teachers, business owners, pilots, scientists, nurses and more, as well as entering our state’s and other fine graduate schools to study medicine, law and other disciplines requiring advanced degrees. In addition, an estimated 265,000 Coloradans have taken classes at Metro State for career advancement and personal enrichment.

A Bold Goal

With a long-term goal of becoming the preeminent public urban baccalaureate college in the nation, Metro State has a solid foundation upon which to build further academic and athletic excellence. For instance:

• Recognized as one of the top teacher-preparation programs in the state, Metro State has been awarded two multimillion-dollar federal grants related to teacher education. The five-year Teacher Quality Enhancement grant from the U.S. Department of Education is a partnership with Denver Public Schools to refine college curricula and provide teaching and mentoring experiences for licensure candidates.

• The College has many top-notch academic programs. For instance, Criminal Justice and Criminology, the only program of its kind in the state, has graduates who are or have been the police chiefs in most of Colorado’s large cities. The Aviation and Aerospace Science program is the fifth-largest in the country and offers the only four-year degree in the state. Its graduates fly for all the major airlines and have critical roles at DIA, including deputy manager of aviation operations and director of security.

• An NCAA Division II powerhouse, Metro State’s student-athletes have great athletic and academic success. The women’s soccer team won the 2004 national championship, and the men’s basketball team is the 2000 and 2002 national champions. In the classroom, Metro State student-athletes have a graduation rate of 67 percent,* and among their recent academic accolades is the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s All-Academic Award given to the 2004-05 men’s and women’s soccer teams.

Low-Income Students and Tuition Value

Metro State has the greatest number of low-income students** in the state, a fact that drives its ranking as having the lowest tuition of the state’s five largest institutions. The cost of resident tuition for 15 credit hours is:

• Metro State: $1,194

• UNC: $1,596

• CU-Denver: S1,650 up to $2,344 depending on class rank and program

• CSU: $1,695 minimum, more charged for certain upper-division courses and high-demand programs

• CU-Boulder: $2,223 up to $3,573, depending on program

In addition, more than $82 million in college scholarships, grants, loans and work-study opportunities are dispersed each year to Metro State students. And, through the Cooperative Education and Internship Center, students annually earn more than $4 million in 1,000 paid internships at 600 local businesses.

*Graduation rate is for 1998-99 incoming freshmen.

** Level I students — those eligible for the Colorado State Grant.

A Core Value: Diversity

As an urban institution with a modified open-enrollment policy, Metro State attracts a diverse student body. Classrooms are a rich mixture of age groups, socioeconomic classes, ethnic backgrounds and lifestyles. Students of color make up 24 percent of the student body.

Metro State has been highlighted in national publications for its diversity:

• Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education ranks Metro State among the top 100 colleges and universities in the nation for graduating Hispanic students. The College ranks second in the state in graduating Hispanic students.

• Black Issues in Higher Education ranks Metro State among the top 100 institutions in the nation in awarding baccalaureate degrees to minorities.

Metro State consistently has the most diverse workforce among the largest state institutions (CU, CSU and UNC). In fall 2005, ethnic minorities comprised 22 percent of the faculty, 29 percent of administrators and 32 percent of the classified staff.

In addition, with 43 percent of Metro State’s full-time faculty being women, the College exceeds the national average of 38 percent women professors at baccalaureate institutions.

Academics

Metro State offers 50 major fields of study and 80 minors and awards bachelor of science, bachelor of arts and bachelor of fine arts degrees through its three schools:

• Business

• Letters, Arts and Sciences

• Professional Studies

A teaching institution, Metro State’s classes are taught by faculty with an average class size is 22. The top 5 majors/programs by enrollment in fall 2005 were:

• Criminal Justice and Criminology

• Accounting

• Teacher Licensure

• English

• Marketing

To best meet the needs of its students, the College holds day, night and weekend courses at the downtown Auraria campus and at its two suburban satellite campuses, Metro South and Metro North. In addition, Metro State offers many courses online and is working with the community college system to develop articulation agreements.

For more information about Metro State, please visit www.mscd.edu.