Kirk Bachmann President | Auguste Escoffier School Of Culinary Arts-Boulder
Kirk Bachmann President | Auguste Escoffier School Of Culinary Arts-Boulder
Of the five institutions in the county, three provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Naropa University, University of Colorado Boulder and Dr. Ida Rolf Institute.
At least 53,877 people applied to Boulder County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 49,576 students enrolled in the universities, including 40,303 in undergraduate and 9,273 in graduate programs. Only 3.5% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (59.4%) and Hispanic (12.3%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, University of Colorado Boulder stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 39,585 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
NCES shows that enrollment data was not available for Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture in Boulder County.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Ida Rolf Institute | 2 | 2 | 32 |
| University of Colorado Boulder | 53,781 | 43,563 | 39,585 |
| Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture | -- | -- | -- |
| Naropa University | 94 | 94 | 1,065 |
| Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder | -- | -- | 8,894 |
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