Colorado State University

Colorado State University

Former names	Colorado Agricultural College (1870–1935) Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (1935–1957)
Type	Public flagship Land-grant
Established	1870
Academic affiliations	APLU
Endowment	US $284.4 million
Chancellor	Tony Frank
President	Tony Frank
Academic staff	1,468
Administrative staff	4,379
Students	33,198 (Fall 2016)
Undergraduates	25,622 (Fall 2015)
Postgraduates	7,458 (Fall 2015)
Location	Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S. 40°34′29.41″N 105°4′51.52″W / 40.5748361°N 105.0809778°W / 40.5748361; -105.0809778Coordinates: 40°34′29.41″N 105°4′51.52″W / 40.5748361°N 105.0809778°W / 40.5748361; -105.0809778
Campus	Urban
Colors	Green and Gold
Nickname	Rams
Mascot	CAM the Ram
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I – Mountain West
Website	www.colostate.edu

Colorado State University (also referred to as Colorado State and CSU) is a public research university located in Fort Collins, in the U.S. state of Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.

The current^[update] enrollment is approximately 32,236 students, including resident and non-resident instruction students and the University is planning on having 35,000 students by 2020. The university has approximately 1,540 faculty in eight colleges and 55 academic departments. Bachelor's degrees are offered in 65 fields of study, with master's degrees in 55 fields. Colorado State confers doctoral degrees in 40 fields of study, in addition to a professional degree in veterinary medicine.

In fiscal year 2012, CSU spent $375.9 million on research and development, ranking 60th in the nation overall and 34th when excluding medical school spending.

Colorado State University is a land-grant institution classified as a Carnegie Doctoral/RU/VH: Research Universities (very high research activity). CSU was founded as Colorado Agricultural College in 1870, six years before the Colorado Territory gained statehood. It was one of 68 land-grant colleges established under the Morrill Act of 1862. Doors opened to a freshman class of 1 student in 1879.

Arising from the Morrill Act, the act to create the university was signed by the Colorado Territory governor Edward M. McCook in 1870. However, during its first years the university existed only on paper. While a board of 12 trustees was formed to "purchase and manage property, erect buildings, establish basic rules for governing the institutions and employ buildings," the near complete lack of funding by the territorial legislature for this mission severely hampered progress.

The first 30-acre (120,000 m²) parcel of land for the campus was deeded in 1871 by Robert Dazell. In 1872, the Larimer County Land Improvement Company contributed a second 80-acre (320,000 m²) parcel. The first $1000 to erect buildings was finally allocated by the territorial legislature in 1874. The funds were not, however, and trustees were required to find a matching amount, which they eventually obtained from local citizens and businesses.