Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Colorado State University-Fort Collins is the main constituent part of the state’s flagship institution. Established in 1870 as Colorado Agricultural College, its research investment, which has surpassed $308 million a year, is among the highest of any institution nationally.

Fort Collins, situated near Rocky Mountain foothills, is best-known for its microbreweries, bicycles and sustainability. It is 60 miles from Denver, but actually closer to Cheyenne, the state capital and largest city of Wyoming. Often seen as the country’s rodeo and railway capital, founded as a product of the Union Pacific Railroad in the late 19th century and home to the Frontier Days rodeo, Cheyenne has attained national fame since it started in 1897. One of several prairie towns in the state, it in many ways typifies the Old West, and has several noteworthy museums showcasing its history, in which sheriffs, cowboys and cattle farmers played a key part.

Denver, referred to as the Mile High City, being 5,300 feet above sea level, is the gateway to the Rocky Mountains and where vast expanses of plains meet the American West. A buzzing cultural hub whose tourism industry has blossomed in recent decades, the city has been voted one of America’s most desirable to live in.

CSU-Fort Collins’ eight colleges teach health and human sciences, liberal arts, engineering, agricultural sciences, veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences, and natural resources.

Alumni include Jon Rubinstein, one of the main creators of Apple’s iPod and iMac, and Yusef Komunyakaa, the first African-American man to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.