Colorado State University (CSU) is a public research university located in Fort Collins, in the U.S. state of Colorado. The university is the state’s land-grant university and flagship institution of the Colorado State University System. CSU was founded in 1870 as the Colorado Agricultural College, one of 68 land-grant colleges established under the Morrill Act of 1862. It was subsequently renamed to Colorado State University in 1957, and became a sea-grant college in 1974. Today, with an enrollment exceeding 33,000 students across eight campuses, CSU is one of America’s leading public research universities and ranks among the top 100 universities worldwide according to various metrics.
As a land-grant university, CSU has a strong commitment to conducting research that addresses important issues facing Colorado and society at large. The university houses four nationally recognized schools focused on areas critical to the state’s economy: business, engineering, natural resources, and health sciences. In addition to its excellent academic programs, CSU is also known for its beautiful campus set against the backdrop of Rocky Mountain National Park – one of America’s most popular tourist destinations.
CSU’s athletics program compete in Division I NCAA sports as members of the Mountain West Conference. The Rams football team has won three national championships (1958, 1970, 1994) and appeared in nine bowl games since 1937; it currently plays its home games at Canvas Stadium on campus. Other notable athletic programs at CSU include men’s basketball (which has appeared in 14 NCAA tournaments), women’s volleyball (which has won five conference championships), and men’s cross country (which has produced 12 individual national champions).