Last Thursday I drove one of my clients up to Laramie for a tour of the University of Wyoming, and we were both impressed. The campus is lovely in the late spring with its historic red sandstone buildings and attractive grounds. Rated as the fifth best college buy in the U.S., U-WY is an incredible deal for Wyoming residents, who pay a $4125 tuition bill, and also a deal for out-of-state students, whose tab is $12,855. Room and board is $8732. This brings the total cost of attendance for an out-of-state student into a range comparable to Colorado public institutions on an in-state basis – pretty remarkable.
The university is rated by U.S. News as selective, and admission statistics are as follows: 95% of applicants are admitted; the average high school gpa is 3.4; the average SAT-critical reading score is 538 and math 541; the average ACT cumulative score is 24. Freshman retention is 73%, and the 6-year graduation rate is 53%; both of these numbers are regarded as average.
With 12,911 students the college is a nice size for a public university: large enough to avoid seeming claustrophobic and in-bred, but small enough to feel like a true academic community. Particular strengths include highly regarded education and engineering programs, a wide range of outdoor activities, amazing local scenery, and multiple building renovations that are either in-progress or planned for the near future.
Both Alex and I thought this would be a pleasant place to spend four years, and the kind of institution that students would be proud to identify with after graduating. Laramie is 2.5-hours from Denver, so a good distance for Colorado students who want to be away from home but still within reasonable driving distance. Check it out!