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A fully accredited, four-year institution, Metro State serves more than 21,000 students and has the second-largest undergraduate student population in Colorado. Metro State empowers students to create their own success by providing relevant, academic excellence through its unique attributes: Outstanding, committed faculty with a passion for teaching Student-centered learning A personalized classroom experience, with more student/faculty interaction An urban location-in the heart of downtown Denver-that expands perspectives and experiences Real-world, 21st century career preparation through a blend of theory and applied learning A commitment to community collaboration One of the largest public baccalaureate colleges in the country, Metro State continues to experience significant growth, with steady enrollment increases in eight of the past ten years. Metro State enrolls more transfer students than any other college or university in the state. At the same time, few students transfer from Metro State to other institutions. Metro State boasts more than 59,000 alumni, 90 percent of whom stay in Colorado after graduation. These graduates put their education to work as teachers, business owners, pilots, scientists, nurses and more, as well as entering our state's and other fine graduate schools to study medicine, law and other disciplines requiring advanced degrees. In addition, an estimated 290,000 Coloradans have taken classes at Metro State for career advancement and personal enrichment. A Bold Goal With a long-term goal of becoming the preeminent public urban baccalaureate college in the nation, Metro State has a solid foundation upon which to build further academic and athletic excellence: Recognized as having one of the top teacher-preparation programs in the state, Metro State has been awarded two multimillion-dollar federal grants related to teacher education. The five-year Teacher Quality Enhancement grant from the U.S. Department of Education is a partnership with Denver Public Schools to refine college curricula and provide teaching and mentoring experiences for licensure candidates. Metro State's Adventure of the American Mind grant is training teachers to integrate digital technology and the Library of Congress online archives into their classroom curricula. The College has many top-notch academic programs. Criminal Justice and Criminology, the only program of its kind in the state, has graduates who are or have been the police chiefs in most of Colorado's large cities. The Aviation and Aerospace Science program is the fifth-largest in the country and offers the only four-year degree in the state. Its graduates fly for all the major airlines and have critical roles at DIA, including airport operations manager and director of security. Metro State collaborates with local organizations to solve community problems while providing our students with valuable, real-world experience. For example, the Family Literacy Program at Metro State works with at-risk families in Denver to improve the literacy skills of preschool children and their parents. An NCAA Division II powerhouse, Metro State's student-athletes achieve great athletic and academic success. The women's soccer team won the national championship in 2004 and 2006, and the men's basketball team is the 2000 and 2002 national champion. Metro State student-athletes have some of the highest graduation rates in the country; for example, 92 percent of our men's basketball team players graduate, compared to the NCAA average of 43 percent. Our student-athletes also participate regularly in community service projects. Best Value in Higher Education Metro State offers a great educational value, with the lowest tuition of the state's five largest institutions. The cost of resident tuition and fees for 15 credit hours in the 2006-2007 academic year is: Metro State: $1,518 UNC: $1,975 CU-Denver: $2,349 up to $2,587 depending on class year and program CSU: $2,358 minimum, more charged for certain upper-division courses and high-demand programs CU-Boulder: $2,821 up to $4,171, depending on program In addition, more than $84 million in college scholarships, grants, loans and work-study opportunities are disbursed each year to Metro State students. And, through the Cooperative Education and Internship Center, Metro State students annually earn more than $4 million in 1,000 paid internships at 600 local businesses. A Core Value: Diversity As an urban institution with a modified open-enrollment policy, Metro State attracts a diverse student body. Classrooms provide a rich mixture of age groups, socioeconomic classes, ethnic backgrounds and lifestyles. Students of all ages go to Metro State, from 16 to 60 and beyond. The median age is 26. Metro State enrolls the highest number of minorities of all four-year colleges in the state. Students of color make up 24 percent of the student body. The College ranks second in the state in graduating Hispanic students, and has set a goal of becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution-with more than 25 percent of enrollment of Hispanic descent-by 2010. Metro State has been highlighted in national publications for its diversity: Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education consistently ranks Metro State among the top 100 colleges and universities in the nation for graduating Hispanic students and was awarded a 2006 Publisher's Pick. Diverse: Issues in Higher Education ranks Metro State among the top 100 institutions in the nation in awarding baccalaureate degrees to minorities. Metro State's senior leadership team mirrors the diversity of the Denver community and the College is on its way to meeting its goal of increasing the diversity of its faculty: Of the 62 new full-time tenured and tenure-track professors who joined the College in fall 2006, 32 percent were of color. Academics Metro State offers 51 major fields of study and 79 minors and awards bachelor of science, bachelor of arts and bachelor of fine arts degrees through its three schools: Business Letters, Arts and Sciences Professional Studies A teaching institution, Metro State's average class size is 22. The top 10 majors/programs by enrollment in fall 2006 were: Criminal Justice and Criminology Management Biology Art Psychology Accounting Behavioral Science English Marketing and History To best meet the needs of its students, the College holds day, night and weekend courses at the downtown Auraria campus and at its two suburban satellite campuses, Metro South and Metro North. In addition, Metro State offers many courses online and is working to develop coordinated degree programs in partnership with community colleges that will deliver the curriculum  for a baccalaureate degree on community college campuses. Want to learn more about Metro State? For more information about Metro State please explore our site: Information for the Media Prospective Students site Admissions site Metro State Open House Schedule a campus tour Meet with an admissions counselor