University Of Colorado
If you like the idea of studying in a US state full of some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, coupled with a relaxed culture and a thriving ski scene - and let's face it, you probably - then Colorado might be the place for you.
In a country where natural beauty comes standard, Colorado still manages to outperform most competitors. Rocky Mountain National Park is only visited by over three million people each year.
Dominated by "Rocky", not only does Colorado contains 30 highest peaks in the Americas, it also has four national parks, 11 national forests, 41 national wildlife areas, and a plethora of other outdoor attractions.
Sports enthusiasts will delight in the endless variety of ways to combine Colorado stay in shape with the discovery of the great outdoors: hiking, climbing and mountain biking, to some of the best skiing and snowboarding are everywhere.
Meanwhile, literary types may be attracted by the state's links with the group 'Beat' writers. Denver has as one of the key locations in the classic novel of Jack Kerouac's On the Road (1957), and in 1974, poets Allen Ginsberg and Anne Waldman helped establish Jack Kerouac School at Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado.
Colorado:
• Located in the western part of the United States; Wyoming border with north, northeast Nebraska, Kansas, east, Oklahoma and New Mexico to the south and west Utah
• The point where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico meet is known as the "Four Corners"
• As neighboring states Utah and Wyoming, Colorado has no natural boundaries - its territory is defined by lines of latitude and longitude rather than natural features
• state capital Denver is nicknamed the city 'mile-high' as official elevation point - a place on the steps of the state capital building - is one mile above the level sea
• South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone met during their studies at the University of Colorado Boulder
• The 500-mile Colorado Trail, popular with hikers, crosses eight mountain ranges, seven national forests, six wilderness areas and five rivers.
Top universities in Colorado
highest rank is the University of Colorado University of Colorado Boulder (CU-Boulder), which is rated at 142 in 2011/12 QS World Ranking of Universities.
Based in the small town of Boulder, CU-Boulder is part of the University of Colorado system, which also includes the University of Colorado, Denver, and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs - which has an additional medical campus in Aurora.
Somewhat confusingly, the second highest rank of the institution of the State, Colorado State University (based in Fort Collins), is also part of a "system" university. Called the System of the State University of Colorado, which also include Colorado State University-Pueblo and CSU-Global Campus - which offers online courses only.
