So, you're thinking about attending a college or university in Colorado?

The state of Colorado is one of only three states that have boundaries defined only by lines of latitude and longitude. It is bordered by Wyoming and Nebraska to the north, Nebraska and Kansas to the east, Oklahoma and New Mexico to the south, and Utah to the west.

The Continental Divide, which stretches across the crest of the Rocky Mountains, runs through Colorado, dividing the geographical features of the state. Going west to east, the state consists of desert-like basins which turn into plateaus, then come the alpine mountains and, finally, the grasslands of the Great Plains.

In general, the state of Colorado is best described as being cool and dry compared to the rest of the U.S. On the western half of the state, this is mostly true. The temperature in these areas average around 60-70°F in the summer. In the eastern plains, however, temperatures can reach upwards of 115°F in the summer.

In Colorado, severe weather is common. Thunderstorms occur frequently throughout the state, causing Colorado to be one of the leading states in deaths due to lighting. Hail is common in the mountains and northwestern section of the state. In addition, the plains areas are prone to tornadoes and floods.

According to an estimate done in 2005, the population of Colorado was calculated to be approximately 4,665,177. Around 441,000 of Colorado residents are foreign-born, 9.7% of the population, which includes about 144,000 illegal immigrants, 3.1% of the population.

Politically, Colorado is considered a very independent state. Over the past 100 years, there have been 17 Democrats and 12 Republicans elected as governor. In the 2004 presidential election, George W. Bush won the state with only 51.69% of the vote. 47.02% of the vote went to his Democratic opponent, John Kerry.

Colorado serves as the home base of numerous Christian groups. Surprisingly, though, only 67% of the population identifies themselves as Christian. A substantial portion of the population, 21%, say they are either non-religious, atheist, or agnostic.

The income tax of Colorado is a flat 4.63%, regardless of income level. The state sales tax is 2.9% on retail sales, though various county and city tax rates make it vary from place to place.

There are many colleges and universities throughout the state of Colorado. These include:

• Colorado State University

• The University of Colorado

• The United States Air Force Academy

To find more information about universities and colleges in this area, visit the Online College Degree page on this website.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Colorado".

Free College Planning Resources