Colorado Colleges and Universities: Colorado Mesa University

Founded in 1925, today’s Colorado Mesa University has grown and evolved significantly since its beginnings. Located in Grand Junction, the school started out as a junior college, then began offering baccalaureate degrees in 1974 and master’s degrees in 1996. In 1988 the school’s name changed from Mesa College to Mesa State College. Then, in 2011, the Colorado State Legislature officially changed the institution’s name to Colorado Mesa University, reflecting its expansion and evolution.

Today Colorado Mesa University has an enrollment of about 11,000 students; about 15 percent of the student body comes from out of state. The university has thirteen academic departments offering a variety of courses of study. In addition to its main campus in Grand Junction, CMU also has a campus in Montrose. Also part of the CMU network is Western Colorado Community College, an open admission college from which many students transfer to CMU.

Researchers looking for information about Colorado Mesa University, including historical information on Mesa College and Mesa State, can find many resources in our library. These include budgets and financial audits going back to the 1970s; catalogs from Mesa College,  Mesa State College and Colorado Mesa University; security reports; and more. Other reports include a 2012 admissions policy study; economic impact studies, annual statistical data, and 2013 self-study.

A number of research publications from the institution are also available from our library. Several issues of the Journal of the Western Slope, Mesa State College’s history magazine exploring life in Grand Junction and the surrounding area, have been digitized. CMU also sponsors the Ruth Powell Hutchins Water Center, publishing an annual report and technical report series. The center has also produced a documentary video, Water in the Desert, that you can view online or check out from our library on DVD.

To find more publications, search our library’s online catalog.