Request Info Visit Apply

All About Mines

For over 150 years, Mines has prepared students to take on real-world challenges through hands-on, applied STEM education. Today, that legacy continues through an experience built around solving problems that matter across industries and around the world.

Born from a need for mining innovation in 1874, Mines has evolved to lead in earth, energy, environment and space.

Icon image of a pickaxe digging away at soil and rocks.

More than 1,250 employers, from NASA and Lockheed Martin to Chevron and Google, actively recruit Mines graduates each year.

Icon image of three people standing in a group.

As an R1 research university, Mines receives over $100M annually in research funding, keeping programs at the forefront of emerging technologies 

Icon image of an atom with electrons and protons spinning around a nucleus.

A Legacy of Innovation

From its founding during Colorado’s mining boom to its global impact today, Mines has a history of solving real-world challenges.

Old Black and White Photo of Mines Guggenheim Hall from the early 1900s

Established 1874

Early milestones include the first commencement in 1883, first international graduate in 1889 and first female graduate in 1898 

Earth rise in space from the perspective of the moon

Alumni Advancements

More than 40,000 alumni drive innovation globally, advancing earth, energy and environmental sciences and contributing to space initiatives, including NASA’s Artemis program

Mines' Mascot Blaster the Burro wears a cowboy hat and munches on grass at a student event

Mines Traditions

Mines students (known as Orediggers since 1906) are respected for grit and roll-up-your-sleeves ingenuity—values reflected in Blaster the Burro, the university’s mascot since the 1930s and a symbol of resilience and hard work 

#1 career ROI among peer universities (Georgetown University, 2026)
87% of graduates land jobs or are admitted to graduate programs (2025)
#1 Mineral and Mining University in the world (QS World University Rankings, 2026)

Experiential Learning Defines Mines

At Mines, you won’t just study theory. You’ll build, test and solve in environments designed to prepare you for what comes next. Here’s how we learn.

A student works with a professor on an electrical engineering project

Learn by applying, not just absorbing

Use what you learn in labs, design courses and project-based environments

Two Geophysics students take readings from a subsurface monitor in the field

Work on real challenges

Tackle challenges grounded in industry, research and real-world conditions

A Mines student draws out a project strategy on a white board in a design studio

Build experience over time

Develop skills progressively through hands-on coursework and applied learning

A senior Mines student draws equations on a clear wall in a conference room explaining her concepts to another student

Connect learning to the real world

Gain the confidence to contribute in professional settings long before you graduate

World-Class Labs, Facilities & Learning Spaces

Your classroom extends far beyond lecture halls into the environments where ideas become solutions. These spaces give you the tools to build, test and solve problems in the same environments used in industry and research.

Colorado School of Mines laboratory equipment

Hundreds of labs, maker spaces and research facilities across campus

Advanced instrumentation and specialized environments for testing and discovery

A building with a lot of windows at night.

Labriola Innovation District, one of the largest collections of maker spaces in higher education

Mines student walking through open field with equipment for monitoring environmental data

Field sites across Colorado and beyond for applied, real-world learning

Solve the World’s Biggest Challenges

From state-of-the-art labs to industry partnerships, our strategic priority areas bring together the people, ideas and resources to turn discovery into real-world impact.

Quantum
Quantum research at Mines

Quantum

Quantum science is shaping the next era of computing, communications and security. At Mines, you’ll learn from experts at the forefront of this field and gain skills to turn quantum breakthroughs into real-world solutions.

Explore Quantum
Critical Minerals
Mines PhD student Karlie Hadden MS ’24 weighs out a sample of sparamine concentrate to run through a RO-tap machine.

Critical Minerals

Modern life depends on critical minerals like lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements. At Mines, you’ll help solve the challenges of finding, extracting and using these resources to power the future of energy, technology and national security. 

Explore Critical Minerals
Energy
Panoramic collage of Power and energy concepts and products

Energy

At Mines, you'll tackle the world's most pressing energy challenges across the full energy spectrum. Here, you'll help advance solutions that power communities, strengthen economies and improve lives.

Explore Energy
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Mines students review business plans for a new engineering project.

Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Innovation at Mines is about turning ideas into reality. Design, prototype and bring new technologies and solutions to market through a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Explore Entrepreneurship & Innovation
AI
Hands on laptop with AI text on screen

AI

Preparing engineers for an AI-enabled world means combining technical expertise with responsible innovation. Through interdisciplinary education, research and industry collaboration, you'll gain the skills and perspective to apply AI effectively across engineering and science.

Explore AI

Inspiring Colorado's Future

women lab
Research Opportunities

The Mines Undergraduate Research Fellowship (MURF) supports research assistants on faculty-led research projects. The First-Year Innovation and Research Scholar Training (FIRST) Fellowship provides up to a $1000 stipend, disbursed hourly, to compensate for your time spent on research. You will develop skills through research and other independent study opportunities in partnership with several research labs across campus, including:

  • Advanced Water Technology Center
  • Center for Environmental Risk Assessment
  • Center for Experimental Study of Subsurface Environmental Processes
  • Re-Inventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure
  • Center for Underground Construction and Tunneling
  • ConocoPhillips Center for a Sustainable WE²ST

Community & Student Experience

At Mines, learning extends into every part of student life. Through clubs, athletics, traditions and life in Golden, you'll find opportunities to lead, collaborate and challenge yourself while building the friendships and experiences that define the Oredigger community.

Colorado School of Mines student dancers wearing colorful dresses at the SHPE Carnival
200+ Student Organizations

 

Whether you're interested in music, robotics, entrepreneurship, cultural organizations, outdoor recreation, or cheese (yes, Mines has a cheese club!), you'll find opportunities to pursue your passions, develop leadership skills and connect with students who share your interests.

 

 

Get Involved
18 Varsity Athletics Teams
Stay active and competitive through NCAA Division II athletics, club sports and intramural leagues. It doesn't matter if you're chasing championships or simply trying something new, there are countless opportunities to build community, teamwork and school spirit.

 

 

Find Your Sport
Arch sign stretching over Main Street in Mines' hometown that reads Howdy Folks Welcome to Golden
Basecamp: Golden, Colorado

 

Located at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Golden offers the perfect blend of adventure and community. Enjoy easy access to hiking, biking, skiing and climbing, while benefiting from proximity to Denver's thriving technology, energy and startup ecosystem.

 

 

Living in Golden

Mines Career Outcomes & Opportunities

87% of graduates land jobs or are admitted to graduate programs
1,250+ employers recruit Mines students each year
$84K average starting salary for Mines undergraduates in their first year
75% of undergrads participate in internships, projects and partnerships with leading companies

Solving What Comes Next

A green laser is being used on a machine.
“

“We have a combination of expertise, facilities and collaborations that uniquely position us to tackle the key challenges facing industry and society across energy, water, natural resources, sustainability, infrastructure, manufacturing, computing, health and beyond.” 

- - President Paul C. Johnson

Explore
Mines