Our Mission: To Create a Better Future

A unique college in a spectacular setting prepares students to excel in careers around the world.

The spirit of Colorado Mountain College is reflected in the surrounding mountains. Eleven learning locations and our Virtual Campus provide liberal arts and science degrees, career and technical training, basic and lifelong learning, and custom business training across 12,000 square miles of western Colorado. CMC prepares Colorado’s workforce through apprenticeships, internships and experiential learning in beautiful mountain settings. CMC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Uniquely Colorado Mountain College

  • Highest elevated college campus in the U.S. (Timberline Campus, Elevation 10,152 Ft.)
  • A recent Student Engagement Survey rated CMC faculty & staff highest in Colorado for helpfulness, availability, and flexibility.
  • 4,100 students enrolled in CMC English as a second language course in 2009-2010.
  • Largest interactive videoconferencing system in Colorado (coverage area).
  • Community participation rate of 13%, nearly five times the state benchmark of 2.7%.
  • Nine athletes from the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games studied at Colorado Mountain College.
  • First Ski & Snowboard Business retailing program in the U.S. Number of states from which full-time students originate: 45.
  • America's only certification in ski life & ropeway maintenance.


Size and Coverage

  • Founded: 1967
  • College type: public associate degree-granting institution
  • District and service area: 12,000 square miles
  • Service area includes 15 of the tope 25 ski areas in Colorado
  • Number of all students attending annually: over 25,000
  • College-wide student/teacher ratio: 12:1
  • 2009-20010 annual operating budget: $48,413,500
  • Number of sites: 11
  • Counties served: 9 (Eagle, Grand, Jackson, Lake, Garfield, Pitkin, Summit, Chaffee, Routt)
  • Full-time college faculty and staff: 767
  • Return on Investment: Every local tax dollar for CMC returns $6/84 to the local economy.


Enrollment, Program and Graduation Statistics

  • Top degree programs by enrollment: Associate in Arts and Associate in Science for transfer
  • 4,633 full-time students in 2009-10
  • Average part-time student: 35-year-old female student enrolled in Associate of Arts in Business Program.
  • Average full-time student: 25-year-old male or female enrolled in Associate of Arts in Outdoor Education program.
  • Financial aid awarded to CMC students in 2008-2009: over $7 million
  • In 2009-10 Customized Business Services trained over 4,224 people in: supervisory skills, workplace Spanish, safety, computers, and more.
  • CMC graduates include: Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Pat Davison, NASA researcher and professor Dr. Aileen O’Donoghue, and E-commerce pioneer Michael O'Hara, Colorado Veterinary Technician of the Year Leslie Rockey, and US Dept. of Interior Conservationist of the Year Sherri Griffith.

Download file. Download the CMC Fact Sheet (pdf)
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