CU Boulder’s Engineering Partnership Programs continue to expand opportunities for students on Colorado’s Western Slope, allowing them to earn CU Boulder engineering degrees while studying at Colorado Mesa University (CMU) in Grand Junction and Western Colorado University in Gunnison.
These programs enable students to complete their first two years of coursework delivered by faculty from CMU or Western, following the main campus curriculum. After a simplified admission process, students become CU Boulder juniors and seniors, taught by CU Boulder engineering faculty based locally. This model allows students to remain in rural areas while pursuing a degree from the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS).
“Students can earn an engineering degree from CU Boulder at a lower cost while enjoying small class sizes, faculty who are dedicated to undergraduate education, in excellent facilities on a beautiful campus,” said Nathan McNeill, director of the partnership program in Grand Junction. “Anyone who wants to pursue an engineering degree has a chance here.”
The CMU-CU Boulder partnership began in 2008 with its first graduating class of nine mechanical engineers in 2012. Civil engineering was added in 2016 due to local workforce needs, followed by electrical and computer engineering in 2018. Since inception, 343 students have graduated from this program.
In Gunnison, the partnership with Western Colorado University started enrolling mechanical engineering and computer science students in 2019. The program has since graduated 67 students between 2023 and 2025. Mechanical engineering remains available as computer science is phased out; biomedical engineering will be introduced for fall 2025 enrollment, followed by aerospace engineering in fall 2026.
“The program appeals to those seeking a quiet, rural experience,” said Rachel Ackerman, senior academic advisor for the Western-CU Boulder partnership. “It also creates opportunities for rural Colorado residents to study closer to home and gives students from the Front Range cities a chance to explore life in a different part of the state.”
Currently about 150 CU Boulder students are enrolled across both campuses. While many come from urban regions along the Front Range, some graduates choose employment on the Western Slope after finishing their degrees.
McNeill noted that “28% of our total CMU-CU Boulder alumni have worked on the Western Slope. Currently, we have approximately 80 alumni (out of 343 total) employed on the Western Slope. Civil engineering is particularly important to local industry, as about half of civil engineering alumni are currently employed on the Western Slope.”
These programs aim to address workforce demands statewide by offering accessible and rigorous education options for aspiring engineers throughout Colorado.
