Colorado School of Mines

The university’s campus is home to both award-winning modern buildings and historical architecture restored to its former glory. Among them is the Mines’ Geology Museum, founded in 1874, which exhibits mineral, gemstone, fossil, meteorite and historic mining artefacts from the 19th century.

Located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Golden itself offers easy access to stunning scenery and a range of outdoor sports. Cultural attractions come in the form of art galleries and museums: it boasts the most per capita within the whole of Colorado.

Golden is also home to the headquarters of Coors Beer and its brewery acts as a local tourist attraction, as well as being one of the leading employers in the area.

On the athletics field, Mines’ students are nicknamed the Orediggers and their sports teams’ colours are silver and blue.

Research opportunities abound for undergraduate and graduate students at the Renewable Energy Materials Research Science and Engineering Center and the Unconventional Natural Gas and Oil Institute, two on-campus powerhouses for energy innovation. 

The school campus is also home to a geology museum, where admission is free and students can check out displays from moon rocks to fossilized dinosaur tracks. Mines alumni garner some of the highest-paid starting salaries in the country, and graduates have gone on to excel as engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs. 

Golden is 13 miles from the state capital of Denver and lies in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where students can bike, hike and climb. The campus also has a climbing wall for students to test their skills before attempting the Rockies. Cold-weather sports fans can partake in the annual Winter Carnival, a student-run affair packed with skiing and snowboarding at a local resort.

There are lots of outdoor activities, skiing, and hiking opportunities. There are also more than 140 student clubs and organizations on campus, including seven fraternities and three sororities.

The student newspaper, The Oredigger, is decidedly science based; sections include weekly roundups of new discoveries and a Geek of the Week feature. 

First-year students are required to live on campus. Freshmen are guaranteed housing. 

Most of freshmen live in "Traditional Halls", which refer to the complex that includes 4 halls. Each hall room includes a desk and chair, a bed, a shelf unit, a closet and a chest of drawers per occupant (single or double). In the Traditional Halls, the chest of drawers is located in the closet. 

Another option is suites. Weaver Towers bedrooms vary widely but generally tend to be smaller than the Traditional Halls rooms and less flexibility as to furniture layout; usually bunked beds are the best option due to space constraints. However, Weaver residents benefit from elevators and air conditioning, and each suite of four or five rooms shares a common living area where furniture and entertainment devices may be conveniently placed.

Career Advisors Center at CSM is equipped to help students look at different career paths through exploration and evaluation of their interests, strengths, values, and skills assessment and advisement.

Each September and February the Career Center sponsors a career fair, open to all the students. Hundreds of companies, government agencies and graduate schools bring information to exhibit. Recruiters talk about their organizations, projects, and discuss internships, co-ops, as well as full-time career opportunities.

Throughout the year, virtual job fairs, on-campus interviews, company info sessions and small recruiting events are held to enhance the job search opportunities. These are a valuable component to the student’s job search and career exploration interview, to learn more about a company and to explore career opportunities.