The Colorado State Advantage

Fort Collins: “The Best Place to Live” – An outdoor lover’s paradise, Fort Collins was recently named America’s “Best Place to Live” by Money Magazine and one of “Ten New American Dream Towns” by Outside Magazine.

The snow-capped Rockies, visible from campus, provide inspiration and the best possible location for a university. Our campus is in the center of Fort Collins, Colorado, just at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills. The wide-open spaces and majestic Rockies make Fort Collins an attractive place to live and learn. This ideal location provides easy access to the mountains and all they have to offer. From camping, hiking, snowboarding, downhill and cross-country skiing to rafting, fishing, or water skiing, you’ll find it all within a short drive from town. And with the city’s agreeable climate of 300 days of sunshine a year, you’re able to take year-round advantage of the spectacular surroundings.

Fort Collins, a city of about 120,000, provides a unique blend of big city advantages and small town friendliness. You’ll find everything you’d want – several shopping malls, hundreds of restaurants, six movie complexes, a regional cultural center, natural areas, and miles of bike trails – right here in town.

Did you know:

• Forbes magazine ranked the Fort Collins-Loveland area as the "third best place to do business in the country." Among the criteria that boosted the area were its educated work force (40 percent of area residents have a bachelor's degree, which ranks sixth in the nation), solid labor supply, steady job growth and lower cost of living."
• Fast Company magazine has named Fort Collins as one of the 30 Fastest Cities to Work, Live and Play.  The leading indicator:  Fort Collins generates patents at the rate of 11.45 a year per 10,000 people, nearly four times the U.S. city average.
• Fort Collins was named Money Magazine's "#1 Best Place to Live" in 2006! "Great schools, low crime, good jobs in a high-tech economy and a fantastic outdoor life make Fort Collins No. 1." Criteria for making the Top 10 list included indicators of standard-of-living, safety and healthcare, educational standards, and general lifestyle. Items assessed included incomes, house prices, taxes, and commute distances.
• Fort Collins was rated as one of the top 10 "Best Places to Raise Your Family..." Frommer's 2006 Travel Guides.
• The June 2006 issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine lists the results of a study aimed at determining America's 50 most fiscally sensible cities in which to live.  Fort Collins is the only Colorado city to appear on the list of 50 smart cities.
• In August 2005, Outside Magazine ranked Fort Collins as one of “The New American Dream Towns.”
• A&E Television featured Fort Collins as one of America’s ten most livable cities. The Arts & Entertainment Television Network chose Fort Collins for its combination of friendliness, natural beauty, outdoor activity, low crime, thriving economy, and historic charm.
• Fort Collins was one of four cities recommended as "The Best Places to be Young" by Your Future magazine (1995). Criteria used in selection included high job growth, low unemployment, good weather, affordable housing, and "stunning natural environment."

Quick facts about Colorado State University …

• More Colorado residents attend Colorado State University than any other single institute of higher education.
• Kaplan’s 2004 Unofficial, Unbiased Guide to the 328 Most Interesting Colleges lists Colorado State as a top university in the categories of schools that are hot and trendy, schools with the most beautiful campus in an urban setting, schools with the most beautiful campus in a suburban or rural setting, and schools where the students enjoy themselves so much they never want to leave.
• The Templeton Foundation named Colorado State among the nation’s leading higher education institutions that encourage student character development.
• Nearly one-third of all Colorado students studying science, math, or engineering are at Colorado State University – far outpacing any other single campus in Colorado.
• CSU received a record $200 million in sponsored research awards for fiscal year 2002-2003, over $16 million more than the previous year and a 42 percent ($59 million) increase in externally funded research support over the past five years.

Take a Virtual Campus Tour and visit the CSU home page to learn more about our campus, programs, and student life. See for yourself why Colorado State is your best choice for your ECE education!

Visitor Information

For more information about Fort Collins, check out these web sites:
Chamber of Commerce. Order a relocation guide. Located at 225 South Meldrum Street, PO Drawer D, Fort Collins, CO 80522; (970) 482-3746.
Convention and Visitors Bureau. Guide to lodging, dining, recreation, shopping, and more. Located at 420 South Howes St., Fort Collins, CO 80521; (970) 482-5821.
City of Fort Collins. The city web site has general information about the city, services, recreation, education, and more.
Larimer County. The county web site has general information about the county, services, recreation, education, and more.
Maps. Maps of our campus and Fort Collins.
State of Colorado. The state web site covers state government, tourism and recreation, communities, history, business, and more about Colorful Colorado.