Supporting Black & African American Students

Enrollment, Retention & Graduation

  • According to 2022 data from the Colorado Department of Higher Education, CU Boulder graduates more Black and African American undergraduate students than any other college or university in Colorado.
  • Of the 179 Black and African American students who entered CU Boulder in 2017 – 66% graduated in 2023 or earlier, which is down two percentage points from the previous three-year average of 68%.
  • Of the 200 Black and African American students who enrolled at CU Boulder in 2022 – 82% returned for their second year of college, which is on par with the previous three-year average.
  • Of the 7,546 first-year undergraduate students enrolled at CU Boulder in fall 2023 – 3% (226 students) were Black and African American.
  • Black and African American students who entered CU Boulder in fall 2023 as first-year undergraduates totaled 241, reflecting a 46% increase compared to five years prior (165 Black and African American first-year students in 2018).

Find more information about the Fall 2023 Census and other student data on the Office of Data Analytics website.

Financial Aid & Affordability

  • CU Boulder disbursed more than $183 million in financial aid in 2022-23 to 12,339 resident undergraduate students, including 525 Black and African American students.
  • CU Boulder disbursed $157 million in financial aid in 2022-23 to 6,982 nonresident undergraduate students, including 221 Black and African American students.
  • The Forever Buffs Black Alumni Association supports the recruitment and retention of Black and African American students, staff and faculty, and works to increase the involvement of Black and African American alumni on campus.

Find more information about scholarships, grants, work-study and other financial aid on the websites of the Office of Financial Aid and the Center for Inclusion and Social Change.

Precollege Support

The CU Boulder Office of Precollege Outreach and Engagement supported 4,247 Colorado middle and high school students between 2017 and 2022, introducing them to academic communities and practices that will help them succeed at CU Boulder or at another academic institution in Colorado or beyond.

  • Precollegiate Development supported 1,850 Denver-area middle and high school students between 2017 and 2022, and 4% identified as Black or African American.
  • Precollege Bridge program supported 127 Colorado students who participated in a precollege program and chose to attend CU Boulder between 2017 and 2022, and 7% identified as Black or African American.

Find more information about precollege programming on the Office of Precollege Outreach and Engagement website.

Academic Support, Affinity & Belonging

Find more information about building community and a sense of belonging among students on the websites of Student Affairs and the Center for Inclusion and Social Change.