University of Colorado Denver Reviews

  • 133 Reviews
  • Denver (CO)
  • Annual Tuition: $26,818
89% of 133 students said this degree improved their career prospects
90% of 133 students said they would recommend this school to others
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Student & Graduate Reviews

JDA
  • Reviewed: 7/11/2023
  • Degree: Computer Science
"I am currently attending CU Denver as a freshman, studying Computer Science Engineering and Economics, and it has been an a great experience so far. While some of the engineering departments may not be as renowned as something like Mines (which is hard to beat anyways), the in-state tuition at CU Denver is very competitive. I initially expected it to be much higher, but it's actually around $15,000 per year for me. When compared to schools like CU Boulder and Mines, it's clear that CU Denver offers a more cost-effective option. One thing that has stood out to me is how well my professors are preparing me for a career in my field. In fact, one of my teachers went out of his way to emphasize the importance of dedicating at least two hours a day to learning programming if we want to succeed in this industry. The expertise and real-world experience of the professors at CU Denver make them trustworthy, so when my professors are saying we need to put in two hours a day minimum, I trust them. It's important to note that CU Denver does not provide the "traditional college experience." Most of the students here are commuters, and once classes are over, they head straight home. It's is understandable though because the majority of individuals attending CU Denver are focused on advancing their careers and view college as a tool vs a way to meet people. It has pros, like being surrounded by very smart and hard working people. But it's going to be hard to find parties to go to. I had a friend who recounted his experience working with a Math major who attended, and said that "he was one of the smartest people I met." It's now clear to me why - people are here to learn and work, and I think that's part of the appeal for me. Campus is also beautiful, and it's extra appealing because you're right in the middle of the city. So if you get bored, you can find something to do instantly. CU Denver is a strong choice and if you come here, I don't think you'll be disappointed."
N/A
  • Reviewed: 3/6/2023
  • Degree: Accounting
"The incompetence of this program/university is unprecedented. Ever since I was admitted it was nothing but problems and I feel robbed of $20k. When I was admitted I had just finished my undergrad from CU Boulder in accounting. I chose the CU Denver program for the online flexibility and because my advisor at CU Boulder said the 6 5000/6000 level acccounting credits I had taken there would transfer since it is part of the same University of Colorado school system. When applying it was my impression that I would only need to take 8 3 credit classes to obtain my masters (which would have also been the case had I continued at CU Boulder) but, my CU Denver advisor(after I had already joined the program) then told me I wouldn’t have to retake those specific masters level classes but would have to replace them with other masters level accounting courses. So while other CU Denver students who continued their undergraduate education at the university only needed 30 5000/6000 accounting credits to graduate I needed to do 36 because I did my undergraduate at CU Boulder and not CU Denver. In terms of classes a lot professors were very young and felt unqualified. I also felt as if only one or two classes helped prepare me for the CPA exam. This “non profit” organization is supposed to have the students as their number one priority and prepare students for the CPA exam but instead it felt like the school was trying to turn as much of a profit as possible by nickle-and-diming students and not hiring qualified teachers so they don’t have to pay larger salaries. Avoid this program at all costs."
Another PMHNP student
  • Reviewed: 8/14/2022
  • Degree: Nurse Practitioner (Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health)
"Agree with everything said in the November 2021 review. Not satisfied with the level of instruction, preparedness for the field upon graduation, or quality of clinical placements. The program seems to have gone downhill quite a bit from 5-10 years ago, which was sadly what I based choosing this school on, and it is not cheap. The Anschutz campus is great, just wish the program would ramp back up to its former glory. Until then, and because it is currently so self-directed, maybe save your money and check out other mostly online programs where you have to teach yourself everything with no live lectures."
PMHNP student
  • Reviewed: 11/2/2021
  • Degree: Nursing
"I wanted to write this review to warn potential MS students about what "hybrid" means since it was not made clear before beginning the program. From all students I've spoken to we agreed that we felt deceived by the term hybrid and were anticipating a much more interactive program. Any didactic classes (or non-clinical experiences) are online. This does NOT mean you attend a lecture online, nor does it mean you watch a recorded lecture. You are assigned readings and assignments each week and it is self taught. You have "teachers" who send you announcements, grade your assignments, and occasionally host a "live zoom". It feels very disconnected. You don't really get to know your teachers or your classmates. With nursing, I find it's hard to retain information you are learning without the shared tidbits from professors regarding their personal experiences. They assign way too much reading and work to realistically complete each week, and no guidance on how to prioritize at least what is the most critical. So you are left on your own to decide what is important which causes anxiety and leaves you constantly feeling like you're not completing everything. Depending on your program you don't start clinicals for a full year (at least - can be more depending on the program). So that means your "relationships" with your professors and peers are strictly through online forums and emails for a good year. You can make the effort to reach out to people and organize get togethers but that is on you. The program does not facilitate this for you. Maybe other "hybrid" programs are this same format but definitely ASK the programs you are looking at to explain the structure of their online component! I wish I had."
Jason
  • Reviewed: 9/29/2021
"By far the worst administration I've ever encountered. The amount of inconsistent and incorrect information being fed to me from every level of advisor up to department heads and program directors has been truly appalling, Im convinced no one at this school gives any care to their job. The director of my program, the woman who wrote the program and its required courses, didn't even know what seven (seven!!) classes she was in charge of (and teaching!). The education is mediocre at best, a perfect example of out of touch, tenured, professors using ancient textbooks written by friends and so engrained in their "method" it detracts from any relevant learning required for a professional future. Im in a DIGITAL marketing program and have yet to learn a single thing about digital-specific marketing (nor are my remaining, required courses at all related to the subject). The school is also believes the rent in Denver is a max of $800/mo, so if youre an adult attending full time, like myself, you will receive no further aid beyond what living with 3 other room mates will cost you. This school is massively out of touch, focused solely on individual cogs while missing the larger picture of providing a decent education without constant time sucks to make up for their extremely lacking administration. I absolutely regret attending this school."
cwstudent2
  • Reviewed: 2/5/2021
  • Degree: Creative Writing
"My dream was to attend a private, liberal arts college in the pacific northwest. This did not work out, and I am so happy that I ended up attending CU Denver. Not only is my debt minimal thanks to financial aid and in-state tuition (along with some scholarships from CU), but I have learned so much from this school. Nearly all of my professors have been incredible, dedicated, and thoughtful. My major and minor teachers have been nothing but amazing and I sincerely enjoyed working with them. The Creative Writing department is superb (though some literature teachers in the general English department are not as great)! I have been able to take a great mix of online and in-person classes. Maymester courses are wonderful for those looking to get quick credits (these are not easy classes, though!). Maymester is 3 credits in 3 weeks and it is recommended to only take one class during this time. There are also different-length summer classes (i.e. 5 weeks instead of 8) which are sometimes available online. The campus is easy to navigate once you get used to it, and everyone is pretty friendly and helpful. Spaces are clean and there are dedicated areas for studying and printing. You actually get printing included in your tuition, so avoid the library and use the computer labs (one is in North classroom) to save money. The Wellness Center is a great addition to campus. The group-fitness instructors are fantastic and I even did a personal training course, which was super helpful for me. A downside is parking. The cost goes up every semester, and it is always full in the garages during a typical, non-Covid semester. It's about $5.50-7 for the parking every day. The lightrail is good, but definitely gets really full after 4pm when people get off work and classes. Get the RTD pass if you can and if it's included in tuition. This is a lifesaver! I've worked on campus, been part of orgs, and volunteer, and it has been such a great experience. Though many people find public universities to not be as good as private ones, I actually think this is a great school. MSU Denver is also a good alternative and a bit cheaper (same campus) but has different degrees. CU offers more graduate degrees also. Your advisor is either hit or miss. Mine has been really good, but I've heard other people have had bad experiences. My advice: look at what courses you need yourself! Don't rely on your advisors always being right. Also, take major classes earlier than you think you need to. Core classes can be taken in the summer or online really easily, but major classes might be harder to find. Most people here I think have a good experience. It is NOT a party school. There are no sororities or fraternities on campus. A lot of students are international, older, and work full-time. This is a good place for meeting people who are focused on school and their careers rather than on partying and socializing. However, there are opportunities to attend social events and lots of organizations/clubs to join. Tivoli is a great place to find activities to do. Overall, I loved going here and will miss this campus a lot!"
Ikim22
  • Reviewed: 12/4/2020
  • Degree: Nurse Practitioner (Pediatric Primary Care)
"Very dissatisfied with the lack of support during the entirety of the program by the head of the primary peds nurse practitioner department. She did not set others up for success and used fear tactics towards students to prevent them from succeeding. Look elsewhere if primary peds is your specialty of interest"
Jeremy Magin
  • Reviewed: 9/29/2019
  • Degree: Electrical Engineering
"UCD is a smaller program than CU Boulder, but this can be beneficial as it results in smaller class sizes and more individualized attention. The campus is easy to navigate, if you live outside of downtown Denver the Light Rail serves 2 stops on campus and the cost is included in your tuition."
Simon Kamau
  • Reviewed: 8/30/2018
  • Degree: Nursing
"I did my online MSN Leadership and Health Systems (otherwise referred to as MS iLEAD) from the College of Nursing University of Colorado Denver. It was purely online. I was able to study from Kenya, East Africa. This is a reputable university and the program there is quite thorough. The MS was coursework about 30 credit hours with a comprehensive paper at the end for defense. The group work was my biggest strength and motivation. Though most students were the US, there was a handful from other other countries and they valued our input so much. I cleared in 3 years."
EWilson
  • Reviewed: 12/4/2017
  • Degree: Environmental Science
"Wish I could speak more highly of this program. Unfortunately, due to the mass confusion regarding multiple versions of curricula and poor advisers there were only 4 or 5 individuals out of a cohort of 26 that graduated in the allotted 2 years. Additionally, a grade change was issued in a course because a very new professor didn't provide a grading rubric and really didn't teach an effective course. One person in my cohort dropped out of the program after this course. Offering such a horrible class, that really provided nothing, was blatant disrespect of our time and money. Program heads couldn't refund everyone so they just upped all of our letter grades. This program is very unorganized and does not offer any "real world" experience. Students are able to do an internship for course credit but the department offers no assistance finding internships. There is no collaboration or partnerships with the University and those working in the field. We completed one research practicum with an outside partner. We were told our work would be published on the website. However, the reports we spent a whole semester writing are no where to be found on the website. Seems like we did a lot of work to just sit on a shelf. I had two excellent professors, Dr. DeGrandchamp and Dr. Briles, other than coursework completed with those professors this program was a huge let down. It's unfortunate to feel like your degree in invalid or not enough because of such an unorganized program. While the degree helped me get my job, I do not use skills learned in my graduate program in my career. Maybe in a few years this program will be better but in the mean time I would not recommend this program what so ever."
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 9/1/2017
  • Degree: MBA
"Good school if you want to live in downtown Denver. Knowledgeable staff. Curriculum wasn't very difficult, which made some classes not very useful for the real world."
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 9/1/2017
  • Degree: Information Technology
"Expensive fees, Professors are okay, school doesn't have great flexibility in timings and class schedules, very strict in grading"
Madison Latham-Kapitz
  • Reviewed: 6/16/2017
  • Degree: Physician Assistant
"The University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus is an amazing place to train as a future health care provider. Not only is it located on a beautiful campus adjacent to two of the top ranking training hospitals in the nation, it offers an interdisciplinary approach to teaching to prepare its students to become the most efficient members of the health care team as possible. Within the physician assistant program alone, students receive specialized training in pediatrics and women's health in addition to all other areas of medicine to prepare learners to provide comprehensive medical care to patients of all ages from prenatal to end of life care. This program is consistently ranked in the top 10 of all PA programs in the country and has extraordinary passing rates for board exams following graduation. Nation wide, there is a significant shortage in primary care providers and this program prepares students to aid in that shortage by providing primary care to patients. Finally, the program offers specific classes to teach learners cultural humility, which is an ongoing process that requires humility as individuals to continually engage in self reflection and self critique, as lifelong learners and reflective practitioners. As part of this we learn to treat our patients with compassion by taking into account mental and emotional asepects of health care in addition to physical aspects. The CU Child Health Associate/Physician Assistant program is the best one could hope for in becoming a knowledgeable, efficient, and compassionate member of the health care team."
Lina Brou
  • Reviewed: 6/15/2017
  • Degree: Biology
"The University of Colorado Denver has a myriad of resources on the main downtown campus and the Anschutz Medical Campus, where I am primarily taking coursework. The School of Public Health covers various topics and the smaller class sizes are perfect for getting individual attention. The rigor of the coursework is above average and the commitment to diversity and social justice allows me to achieve my career goals."
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 5/22/2017
  • Degree: Education
"My professors were wonderful, and I earned a great education that I was able to implement immediately in my teaching. The university was great about scheduling and working with my teaching schedule."
Bridget Kromrey
  • Reviewed: 3/30/2017
  • Degree: Psychology
"My program has been excellent in facilitating my learning and giving me hands on experience in the field of global mental health. Having an international internship was an invaluable experience. The instructors come from a diverse background and the classes span from so many different areas. I highly recommend the program to anyone who is wanting to work with international populations."
Jaclyn DeRieux
  • Reviewed: 3/26/2017
  • Degree: Health Sciences
"The University of Colorado Anschutz campus provides a unique and supportive environment for medical education. I especially appreciate how several professional schools (PA, nursing, PT, pharmacology) are located on the same campus, and courses have been created to promote interprofessional collaboration."
J. Tanner Kaler
  • Reviewed: 3/13/2017
  • Degree: Criminal Justice
"This degree is all about what you make it. If you work hard to learn the material and apply it, you have a great many resources available to help with networking, research, and study. The fact that an internship is required goes a long way to make the information used in classes stick and improve the overall marketability of graduates."
Jillian Pate
  • Reviewed: 3/10/2017
  • Degree: Architecture
"My experience thus far has been very rewarding and worthwhile. The professors are very knowledgeable, and have stretched my understanding of Architecture in ways that I would not have expected before starting the program. There are a plethora of opportunities for involvement with design workshops, lectures, and projects outside of class, which is great! However, the amount of notice for such participation is sometimes too quick to be able to participate in such opportunities. I have found that the university as a whole is a bit hands off, and figuring out financial aid, scholarships, university requirements and administrative things a bit of a blind maze. The administrative offices seem to just expect students to understand all of the requirements, and do little to inform students or update them of account needs. That said, the program is great, and the only one in Colorado, so it makes for an enviable experience for many, as Denver is a great place to study."
Sara M.
  • Reviewed: 3/8/2017
  • Degree: English
"The University of Colorado Denver English studies graduate program is ideal for people who work a full-time job. They offer many classes in the evenings (starting at 5pm) to accommodate the growing number of graduate students who can't afford to pursue a degree full-time. The majority of graduate students tend to be teachers, so it creates a great environment for those who are either currently teaching or hope to teach since it allows for group collaboration around current issues in teaching English. The required courses for the graduate program are for graduate students only; however, the elective courses that are offered are cross-listed with undergraduate classes. This means that these courses are generally not as challenging despite the teachers applying different standards and assigning additional assignments to the graduate students. I would say this is a major downside of the program. Overall, the program offers a lot of leniency in how you want to pursue your degree and flexibility to do so in your own time."