| Jan - Mar | Apr - Jun | Jul - Sep | Oct - Dec |
-9.5℃ |
16.2℃ |
2.7℃ |
8.5℃ |
Founded in 1870 and established as a land-grant institution, Colorado State is a fully accredited public university. Colorado State offers more than 190 programs of study within eight colleges. Colorado State is the "University of Choice" for Colorado residents; 30% of all of Colorado's science, math, and engineering and technology majors pursue degrees at CSU.
Fort Collins, among Outside Magazine's 2013 Best Towns in America, provides a unique blend of big city advantages and small town friendliness. You'll find everything you want - several shopping centers, hundreds of restaurants, multiple movie complexes, a regional cultural center, natural areas, and miles of biking and hiking trails. Close to campus are world-famous Rocky Mountain National Park, the Poudre River, and Horsetooth Reservoir. These recreation areas, as well as many others close by, offer endless opportunities for outdoor activities - such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, camping, white-water rafting, and boating. And the region's 300 days of sunshine a year enables you to take full advantage of the spectacular surroundings.
The weather is the biggest negative about this place. This is not the place to be if you like year-long warmth. People who have moved to Fort Collins complain that the weather here is harsh and controls your activities. You do not just go out and do things - you've got to plan ahead whether it's summer of winter. Winters are long and cold and summers are only for a month and a half. Dry air and winds are a nuisance.
There is an on campus police station (yes these are real police) and these police focus on university specific problems over city trouble. While on campus, at all times of night at any point on campus, you can always see two neon blue light posts which hold an emergency 911 phone should you feel unsafe at night. There is even a free service for students known as Ram-Ride which students can call and will be given a ride home from their location free of charge at night.Outside the classroom and research lab, students can get involved with the more than 350 campus organizations, including about 35 fraternities and sororities. Greek Life is not as big at C.S.U. as it would be at many other colleges but those who participate in Greek Life love it. One downside of participating in Greek Life is you must pay to join the Fraternity or Sorority and fees vary between groups. Student athletes can find sports at the recreational, club and varsity level, with the CSU mascot and colors reflecting the school's past. CSU began as an agricultural school, so the sports teams were called the Aggies and their colors were green and gold to represent farming. The school held onto the colors, but the more than 15 varsity sports teams are now called the Rams. They compete in the NCAA Division I Mountain West Conference.