Admissions Factors

What CU Boulder Looks For

CU Boulder rates 2 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses and academic GPA.

How CU Boulder rates each factor

Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.

Very important

Important

Considered

Not considered

The numbers behind the class

Overall admit rate

70.7%

51,716 of 73,180 applicants

Early decision admit rate

No early decision

Admitted from the waitlist

7.7%

92 of 1,189 who stayed on it

Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 3.77. 26.3% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.

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Frequently asked questions

What does CU Boulder look for in applicants?

CU Boulder rates 2 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses and academic GPA.

Does CU Boulder consider legacy status?

CU Boulder rates alumni relation as "not considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.

What is CU Boulder's waitlist acceptance rate?

1,189 students stayed on the waitlist and 92 were admitted, a rate of 7.7%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.

Source: CU Boulder’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.