Boulder is one of the most highly educated cities in the nation. Nearly 70% of adults 25 and older who live in the city have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher (compared to the national average of 38%). Forbes magazine has named Boulder the nation’s smartest city.
Local schools reflect a strong commitment to quality education. The Boulder Valley School District is consistently ranked among the top districts in Colorado. Average SAT scores for high school students in Boulder exceed both state and national averages. In addition to excellent public schools, Boulder has a wide array of private schools that meet specific needs and goals of students and parents.
| Boulder | Colorado | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math | 600 | 575 | 515 |
| Reading | 588 | 568 | 501 |
| Writing | 576 | 555 | 493 |
| Total | 1764 | 1698 | 1509 |
The University of Colorado at Boulder is the state’s flagship institution, offering more than 3,400 courses in 150 areas of study to nearly 30,000 students. Courses and majors (85 at the bachelor’s level, 70 at the master’s level, and 50 at the doctoral level) represent a full range of disciplines in humanities, social sciences, physical and biological sciences, fine and performing arts, and professions. The university is one of only 34 US public research universities invited to join the prestigious Association of American Universities, and has the Rocky Mountain region’s largest library collection. Four of the university’s faculty members have received Nobel prizes and four professors have been awarded the National Medal of Science.
Naropa University began in Boulder in 1974 as a Buddhist-inspired summer institute. The school has since grown into a fully accredited university with an enrollment of nearly 500 undergraduate and over 600 graduate students. The university offers programs in arts, education, environmental leadership, psychology and religious studies. Students come from around the globe to experience the school’s unique approach to education.