Safety Score
5.17 /1K students
incidents per 1,000 enrolled
Boulder, CO · Clery Act 2023 · Public
University of Colorado Boulder
According to the U.S. Department of Education's Clery Act filings, this profile covers campus safety, crime statistics, fire-safety data, and peer comparison for this 41,432-student campus.
- 5.17
- Incidents / 1k students
- #2,600
- Rank of 3,050
- #37
- CO rank
- 41,432
- Enrolled students
Data updated June 2026
The verdict
University of Colorado Boulder reports 5.17 on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students, ranking #2,600 of 3,050 ranked U.S. campuses - with more reported incidents than 87% of ranked campuses its size.
- 5.17
- incidents / 1,000 students
- #2,600
- of 3,050 ranked nationally
- 87%
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 170
- on-campus incidents, 2023
Safety score = reported on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is safer).
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2023
University of Colorado Boulder increased from 102 to 170 reported on-campus incidents between the 2022 and 2023 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesUniversity of Colorado Boulder is a Public institution located in Boulder, CO, enrolling approximately 41,432 students. Clery Act data spanning 2021–2023 records 346 total on-campus incidents across all reported crime categories. Within CO, it ranks #37 by safety score. Verify with the U.S. Department of Education Clery Act database →
With 41,432 enrolled students, this campus sits in the large research university bracket, which shapes how raw incident counts should be interpreted.
The most frequently reported category at University of Colorado Boulder is "Burglary" with 125 cumulative incidents across the reporting window. Compared to 5 peer institutions of similar enrollment size in CO averaging 3.06 incidents per 1,000 students, University of Colorado Boulder reports 69% more incidents per student.
Fire safety data covers 1 reporting year for on-campus residential facilities, logging 2 total fires. Arrests and disciplinary actions span 9 category-year records, covering liquor law violations, drug law violations, and weapons possession on-campus. No Department of Education Clery Act enforcement actions are recorded against this institution.
National Rank
#2600
See peer comparison
State Rank (CO)
#37
within state peers
Incidents (2023)
170
across 11 crime categories
Where University of Colorado Boulder sits among ranked U.S. campuses
On-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 students, every ranked campus with 2,000+ students
5 safer than 13% of 1,807 ranked campuses
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more ranked campuses. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act) · 2023
Safety percentile vs. peers
University of Colorado Boulder percentile rank 14.8%
National median
Higher percentile = safer than more peers. Rank #2600 out of 3,050 ranked institutions (enrollment >= 500) in the OPE Campus Safety Survey.
Reporting density vs peer median
University of Colorado Boulder reports 69% more incidents per student than the median of 5 peer institutions.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $15,666
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $44,918
- Avg Net Price
- $25,346
- Median Debt
- $19,500
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 14%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 78%
- SAT Average
- 1357
- SAT Math Range
- 610–720
- ACT Average
- 28
- ACT Range
- 29–33
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 75%
- Retention Rate
- 90%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $54,939
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $69,738
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 82%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Enrollment scale
How campus size shapes the safety figures
With 41,432 enrolled students, University of Colorado Boulder is in the largest 1% of the 5,673 institutions in this dataset with a reported enrollment. The safety score above already normalizes reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students, so compare it with similarly sized campuses instead of treating a higher raw count as evidence that a campus is less safe. Use the annual crime table to see what was reported, then use the peer comparison to judge the rate against schools of a similar scale. A lower reported rate is not a guarantee of individual safety or a measure of reporting quality.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyUniversity of Colorado Boulder: on-campus incidents by year
Rising 130% (74 → 170 incidents)
| Crime Type | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggravated Assault | 13 | 3 | 2 |
| Arson | 8 | 1 | 2 |
| Burglary | 64 | 41 | 20 |
| Fondling | 25 | 17 | 12 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 22 | 15 | 20 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rape | 36 | 24 | 16 |
| Robbery | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Figures show on-campus incidents
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
9 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2023 | 23 | 297 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 90 | 1180 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 6 | 1 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 19 | 266 |
| Liquor | 2022 | 96 | 1184 |
| Weapons | 2022 | 1 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2021 | 63 | 235 |
| Liquor | 2021 | 138 | 642 |
| Weapons | 2021 | 2 | 0 |
University of Colorado Boulder vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer).
CO
University of Colorado Boulder
5.17 incidents / 1,000 students
TX
Tarrant County College District
1.69 incidents / 1,000 students
GA
University of Georgia
1.37 incidents / 1,000 students
Similar Institutions
Tarrant County College District
Fort Worth, TX · 41,472 enrolled
Safety Score 1.69
University of Georgia
Athens, GA · 41,615 enrolled
Safety Score 1.37
California State University-Fullerton
Fullerton, CA · 41,962 enrolled
Safety Score 1.64
University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD · 40,813 enrolled
Safety Score 5.76
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX · 40,773 enrolled
Safety Score 4.83
Closest by National Rank
Institutions ranked nearest University of Colorado Boulder nationally (rank #2600), regardless of size or state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is University of Colorado Boulder safe?
University of Colorado Boulder has a safety score of 5.17 (total on-campus incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #2,600 nationally out of 3,050+ ranked institutions. Compare this with peer institutions for context.
What crimes are reported at University of Colorado Boulder?
Aggravated Assault, Arson, Burglary, Fondling, Incest, and other categories, for calendar year 2023.
How does University of Colorado Boulder compare to similar schools?
See the Similar Institutions section below for peers of similar enrollment in CO.
Does University of Colorado Boulder have fire safety data?
Yes. University of Colorado Boulder reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 2 fires were reported in the most recent year.
Understanding University of Colorado Boulder's Safety Profile
University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, CO enrolls 41,432 students and has a safety score of 5.17 incidents per 1,000 enrolled students , ranking #2600 nationally. This higher score indicates more reported incidents relative to enrollment, though context matters, urban campuses and larger institutions may have different reporting dynamics.
Reported incidents cover 2021 to 2023. On-campus incidents increased from 102 in 2022 to 170 in 2023.
Fire safety data covers on-campus residential facilities. 2 fires were reported in the most recent year.
What this means for you
University of Colorado Boulder's 5.17 reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students is a starting point for comparison, not a verdict on any student's safety.
- Weigh University of Colorado Boulder against similar-size campuses, scale changes what the raw count means. Compare campuses
- A higher count can mean stronger reporting, not more danger. How the data works
- Clery covers campus grounds only. Campus vs. city crime
Figures reflect the 2023 Clery Act reporting year as filed with the U.S. Department of Education.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCampus Editorial
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.