As of June 2026, these are the numbers to be used by Colorado Mesa University in publicly presented materials. The numbers are based on the 2025-2026 academic year unless otherwise noted.
Founded: 1925
Official colors: Maroon and White
Mascot: The Maverick
Continually accredited by The Higher Learning Commission since 1957
- 3rd lowest tuition and fees in the state of Colorado
- CMU is ranked #4 in the Top Public Schools in the Regional Colleges West (U.S. News & World Report 2026)
- CMU is ranked #14 in the Best Regional Colleges West Rankings (U.S. News & World Report 2026)
- USA Today's #1 place to live in Colorado in 2024
- One of the New York Times' 52 Places to Go Worldwide in 2023
- CMU earned Tree Campus USA recognition. Tree Campus USA is a national program launched in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation that honors colleges and universities and their leaders for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation. To obtain this distinction, CMU met the five core standards for effective campus forest management: a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and student service-learning project.
- CMU earned Bee Campus USA recognition, a national program by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation that recognizes institutions committed to creating healthy habitats for pollinators. To receive this designation, CMU pledged to reduce pesticide use, increase native plantings, and engage the campus community in pollinator conservation. CMU is one of only two Bee Campuses in Colorado and joins a growing network of over 400 affiliates nationwide.
- 17 Total Fulbright Scholars
The addition of the newest builds brings CMU’s total acres to 125.
Coming Fall 2026:
- Centennial Apartments
- Ember Eatery
Asteria Theatre (opened September 2024)
Located across from Hotel Maverick, CMU’s new Asteria Theatre is the largest stage between Denver and Salt Lake City and serves as a regional hub for arts and entertainment. The 869-seat venue supports CMU’s performing arts programs and is capable of hosting touring Broadway productions. Named after the Greek word for “stars,” the theatre’s design reflects both the night sky and the surrounding desert landscape.
Foster Field House (opened May 2023)
On March 5, 2023 CMU celebrated the completion of its newest building on campus, the Foster Field House. Located north of Escalante Hall and south of the Maverick Center, the facility serves as a multidisciplinary space that provides more recreational opportunities for the community, expands the university’s capacity to host regional athletic events and houses additional academic classrooms for kinesiology majors. The building is named after President Emeritus Tim Foster, his wife Lisa and the entire Foster family following his tenure as CMU president which spanned 17 years.
Bus Bergman Sports Complex (opened May 2022)
The Bus Bergman Sports Complex includes CMU's Track and Field Facility, the Softball Field, Football Practice Field as well as the new Baseball Stadium. The new on-campus Baseball Stadium includes 1,500 seats as well as a clubhouse and concessions. There is also room for future expansions.
St. Mary’s Medical Education Center (opened January 2022)
This 24,202-square-foot facility will serve to educate and train students to be qualified physician assistants (PAs), occupational therapists (OTs) and physical therapists (PTs) who will meet the healthcare needs of the region. The center is made up of 12 classrooms and labs, including a cadaver lab, group study areas and office space for staff. The co-location of these programs will create synergy between the disciplines and enable interdisciplinary collaboration.
Center for Reflection (opened March 2021)
The Center for Reflection is a nondenominational, interfaith sanctuary on campus. It seats around 40 people. The floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows in the front of the room provide unique light spectrum that will illuminate the space while a water feature in the back of the sanctuary provides serene, ambient companionship to those using the sanctuary for solitary reflection, prayer or meditation.
Hotel Maverick (opened June 2020)
Hotel Maverick is Grand Junction's premier destination for travelers who seek an upscale, boutique — and at the same time uniquely down-to-earth — "New West" experience. Located on the Colorado Mesa University campus, we offer an unparalleled location that serves as your base camp for interacting with the university and/or exploring the natural beauty and outdoor recreation that surrounds us. Every stay supports the teaching mission of one of the nation's fastest growing universities.
Confluence Hall (opened January 2018)
Confluence Hall, the new engineering building, is CMU’s first building to front Seventh Street. The 68,700 square-foot building houses CMU’s engineering programs, including the civil and mechanical engineering programs delivered at CMU through a partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder. At the grand opening CMU and CU Boulder announced a third partnership program Electrical and Computer Engineering, which will start fall 2018. The $26.4 million building includes 22 classrooms/labs/shops, rooms for student club projects, a 15-foot wind tunnel and leading edge equipment and tools including hydraulic ironworker, CNC plasma table, tensile machine, optical comparator and much more. The building will also be the newest home for Eureka! McConnell Science Museum.
- Founded April 20, 1925 as Grand Junction Junior College with 39 students
- Name changed to Grand Junction State Junior College in 1932
- Enrollment exceeds 200 for the first time in 1933
- Name changed to Mesa College in 1937
- Enrollment exceeds 1,000 in 1961
- Authorized to offer baccalaureate degree programs in 1974
- Name changed to Mesa State College in 1988
- Authorized to offer Master of Business Administration in 1996
- Formally created two-year division — Western Colorado Community College — in 2005
- Name Changed to Colorado Mesa University in 2011
- Western Colorado Community College name changed to CMU Tech in 2023
- 10,979 students in the 2025-2026 academic year
- Faculty to student ratio: 18:1
- Male to Female Ratio: 4,461 vs 5,327
- Percentage of students from Mesa County: 36.7%
- Percentage of students from 14-county service region: 53.4%
- Percentage of students from outside Colorado: 13.3%
- Total number of international students: 101
- Percentage of students from underrepresented groups: 29%
- Percentage of students who are first generation: 44.3%
- Percentage of students who are low income: 33.5%
- Percentage of students ages 18-24: 74.5%
- Percentage of entering undergraduates that were transfers: 20.5%
- Percentage of all undergraduates that were entering transfers: 5%
- Percentage of students enrolled full-time: 77%
- Students from 47 states (including Colo.) and 39 countries (including the U.S.)
- For-credit internship placements: 610
- Students in for-credit research experiences: 634
- 139 exchange partners in 56 countries at which students can study abroad via ISEP (International Student Exchange Program)
- 167 universities at which students can study via NSE (National Student Exchange)
- 256 programs
- 54 minors
- 13 academic departments
- 88% of class sections have fewer than 40 students
- 52% of class sections have fewer than 20 students
- Average GPA for a baccalaureate-seeking student: 3.20
- Average ACT score for a baccalaureate-seeking student: 22
- Average SAT score for a baccalaureate-seeking student: 1080
- 939 students participated in the annual Student Showcase with 421 projects, which includes scholarly and/or creative activities ranging from artistic exhibits, paper presentations, posters, readings, demonstrations and performances.
- Holdings in Tomlinson Library: Books 204,477; e-books 188,898; government documents 559,964; journal databases 119; more than 30 million items through Prospector and more than 5 million items through Marmot
- 96,481 students attended 283 instruction sessions provided by librarians
- 1,641 individual research help consultations
- Total dollar amount of new sponsored awards in fiscal year 2026: $3,315,707
- 43 grants submitted to federal, state and private funding agencies
- 33% of total sponsored research and programs funding is federal
- 34% of total sponsored research and programs funding is state
- 33% of total sponsored research and programs funding is private
- 630 full-time and part-time faculty
- 209 full-time, tenured and tenure-track
- 178 full-time, non-tenure track
- Financial Aid Awarded: $104.7 million (2024-2025)
- 72.4% of student body receiving financial aid
- 58.8% of student body received merit aid
- 18.7% of first-time students received merit aid
- $4.7 million scholarship dollars awarded by the CMU Foundation to 1,551 students (2024-2025)
- Full-time undergraduate in-state tuition and fees (15 credit hours per semester, after COF): $10,989
- Full-time CMU Tech in-state tuition and fees (based on 15 credit hours each semester): $6,519
- Full-time undergraduate special programs (WUE and M&P) tuition and fees (15 credit hours per semester): $16,691
- Full-time undergraduate out-of-state tuition and fees (15 credit hours per semester): $27,843
- Number of states included in Mountains and Plains tuition program: 19
- Number of states included in Western Undergraduate Exchange tuition program: 14
- 3rd lowest tuition and fees in the state of Colorado
- Student Clubs and Organizations: 158 clubs, 12 organizations
- Cultural alliances that make up the Cultural Inclusion Council: 7
- Number of sororities: 2
- Number of fraternities: 2
- 3,000+ student life activities per year (100+ annual cultural events each year, included in the total)
- Outdoor Program: 92 free weekly outdoor activities, 58 weekend trips and 2,300 items available to rent
- 1,330 computer workstations in 76 computer labs
- 1,250 wireless access points
- 245 technology-enhanced classrooms
- Number of varsity student-athletes: 810
- All-Time Conference Titles won: 132
- Number of RMAC Championships for the year: 6
- Total number of National Championship qualifying teams: 17
- Number of National Champions: 135
- All-Americans: 52
- Academic All-Americans: 18
- All-RMAC Selections: 246
- Academic All-RMAC Recipients: 355
Notable Accomplishments: 2025-2026
- Women's Rugby won their second National Championship
- Cross Country Ski won their second team National Championship
- CMU Rodeo won Collegiate Rodeo of the year (6 years in a row)
- CMU Cycling won USA Cycling Varsity Omnium title (6 years in a row)
26 NCAA Division II teams and 2 additional varsity teams comprised of 800+ total varsity student-athletes:
Men’s triathlon and cheerleading are not NCAA-sanctioned sports
All men's and women's teams are counted separate except for cheerleading
Men’s: Baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross-country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), triathlon, wrestling
Women’s: Basketball, beach volleyball, cheerleading, cross-country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), triathlon, volleyball, wrestling
50 club sport programs
- 475+ participants
- Co-ed club sports: 7
- Men’s club sports: 23
- Women’s club sports: 20
11 intramural sport leagues and tournaments
- 1,316 participants
- 183 teams
- Theatre Department theatre and dance productions in Asteria Theatre: 3
- Theatre Department theatre and dance productions in Robinson Theatre: 2
- Mesa Experimental Theatre (MET) productions: 3
- Number of performances in the Moss Dance Studio: 2
- Music Department concerts in Asteria Theatre: 20
- Music Department season concerts in Love Recital Hall: 15
- Off campus performances: 6
- Theatre Department theatre/dance productions (formal season): 8
- Theatre Department dance concerts: 4
- Music Department season concerts: 43
- Total Asteria Theatre productions: 61
- CMU Stages events: 114 (all performances in all venues)
- 869 seats in Asteria Theatre, 426 seats in Robinson Theatre, 288 seats in Love Recital Hall
- 52,000 from all 50 states and 33 countries
- 5 alumni chapters
- Residence Halls: 14 (Aspen Apartments, Bunting Hall, Centennial Apartments, Garfield Hall, Grand Mesa Hall, Jay Tolman Hall, Lucero Hall, Lucero Apartments, Mary Rait Hall, Monument Hall, Orchard Avenue Apartments, Piñon Hall, Walnut Ridge Apartments, Wingate Suites & Apartments)
- Beds on campus: 3,287
- Resident Assistants: 87
- Large-scale programming events for all halls per year: 27
- Small-scale programming events within each hall per year: 160
- Minutes from on-campus food options: 5
- Days of sunshine per year: 300
- Population of Grand Junction: 69,412
- Mesa County Population: 159,681
- Average annual rainfall: 8.46 inches
- Average annual snowfall: 11.5 inches
- Average low and high temperatures, January: 18-35 degrees Fahrenheit
- Average low and high temperatures, July: 60-87 degrees Fahrenheit
- Elevation: 4,586 feet
- Distance from Denver: 4 hours, 250 miles
- Distance from Salt Lake City, Utah: 4.5 hours, 275 miles