Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian, the CU Independent or their respective editorial boards.
As the two most prominent universities in Colorado, it is no surprise Colorado State University and the University of Colorado Boulder have a longstanding rivalry, especially given their proximity to each other.
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With the annual Rocky Mountain Showdown coming to Fort Collins for the first time since 1996, there is no shortage of rivalrous sentiments heard around campus. However, among the most common is that CSU is a better school, which is often up to the listener’s interpretation.
There is a myriad of reasons a student would choose one university over another, and this is undoubtedly applicable to CSU and CU. For students who applied and were accepted to both CSU and CU, there are different factors at play.
“I chose CSU because of the opportunities that were offered to me as a first-generation college student. Both my parents are from Guatemala and never had the opportunity to live the American dream. When it came to deciding which college would offer me the best support, it was CSU.” -Eldin Lopez-Pascual, CSU student.
Admission itself is imperative to many students’ college experiences. First-year CSU student Anna Zertuche discussed how this influenced her decision.
“I picked CSU because, right off the bat, it felt more accepting,” Zertuche said. “With CU, my admission was conditional, and I would only have been able to go if I joined a specific program. But with CSU, they accepted me either way.”
Cost is an incredibly important deciding factor for many students as evidenced by incoming first-years across the country not making a decision due to Federal Student Aid delays. Second-year CSU student Tristin Astbury touched on this issue, discussing aid and financial accessibility.
“(CU Boulder is) also way more expensive,” Astbury said. “CSU offered me a full ride for four years. There was no other way I was going to be able to go to college unless (it was) through the military. A full ride was a godsend.”
One frequently mentioned fondness of CSU is the greenery and wildlife along with priority for in-state students, as some say Boulder prioritizes out-of-state students. As of 2023, in-state students made up 60% of CSU’s student population, while in-state students made up 57% of CU’s.
Similarities of both schools include the prominent business and finance programs. Business administration is CSU’s most popular major, and finance is CU’s fourth-most popular area of study. Additionally, CU and CSU have collaborated on research in the past.
Another consideration when looking at colleges is the resources available to students. CSU student Eldin Lopez-Pascual discussed his guiding thoughts when choosing CSU.
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“I chose CSU because of the opportunities that were offered to me as a first-generation college student,” Lopez said. “Both my parents are from Guatemala and never had the opportunity to live the American dream. When it came to deciding which college would offer me the best support, it was CSU.”
CSU has a variety of resources for first-generation students, including the First Generation Award, community engagement and academic support through five on-campus offices. Students can also find resources through the various Cultural Resource Centers as well as clubs and groups on campus.
As someone who has lived in Colorado for just over eight years, I am relatively familiar with both CSU and CU, including their draws and faults. I was accepted into both CSU and CU; University of Northern Colorado was my top choice for a while because I was awarded a scholarship.
After my other acceptance letters came in, I got a postcard in the mail from CSU’s Access Center inviting me to apply to the Bridge Scholars Program. This program was designed for first-generation, low-income students to help us adjust to a system that wasn’t built for us — it was my deciding factor. The money I could save and the experience I could gain would be invaluable to me, especially considering I was going to pay for college without any outside help.
I love The Collegian, the people I have met here and the campus itself. It might sound frivolous, but my favorite part of campus is the trees because they remind me of home. All this to say, I am glad I chose CSU, and I would undoubtedly make the same choice again.
Reach Aubree Miller at life@collegian.com or on Instagram @aubree.miller07.
