Financial Aid

CU Boulder Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid

CU Boulder gave merit aid averaging $10,166 to 3,348 first-year students who had no financial need, about 69% of the freshmen without need.

Merit aid

Scholarships CU Boulder gave to first-year students who had no financial need.

Average merit award

$10,166

Freshmen who got one

3,348

of 7,356 in the class

Share of those without need

69%

who received merit aid

Need-based aid

For first-year students the college found to have financial need.

Average need-based grant

$17,729

Average percent of need met

72%

Freshmen with need

34%

2,481 students

The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $23,118.

How to read these numbers

Merit aid is awarded for grades, scores, or talent. Need-based aid is awarded for family finances. A student can receive both.
The merit figures count only students with no financial need, so they show what a family that will not qualify for need-based aid can expect.
A grant does not have to be repaid. A package can include loans, which do.

Email me CU Boulder's aid numbers

A link to this page, plus the merit aid comparison for every college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

Does CU Boulder give merit scholarships?

CU Boulder gave merit aid averaging $10,166 to 3,348 first-year students who had no financial need, about 69% of the freshmen without need.

How much is the average merit scholarship at CU Boulder?

$10,166 for first-year students without financial need, according to CU Boulder's 2025-26 Common Data Set. That is an average across everyone who got an award, so individual offers run higher and lower.

Does CU Boulder meet full financial need?

CU Boulder reports meeting 72% of need on average for first-year students who were awarded need-based aid. A figure under 100% means the average student was left with a gap to cover.

What share of CU Boulder freshmen have financial need?

2,481 of 7,356 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 34%, were found to have financial need.

Source: CU Boulder’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section H, for first-time, full-time freshmen. Last checked 2026-10-08. These are averages for one entering class, and some colleges report the prior year’s class in this section. Your own offer depends on your family’s finances and your application.