Colorado School of Mines

Colorado School of Mines, also referred to as just Mines, is a small public research university at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, about 20 miles from both Denver and Boulder. Its principal academic focus is on engineering and applied science, with what it calls a "mission to enhance understanding of the earth, energy, and the environment." The university has over 5,000 undergraduate students, who go on to earn early career salaries of just over $90,000 a year. Admission is competitive, and students report that the curriculum is rigorous, with classes taught by professors who care. Athletes abound: The Orediggers play baseball, golf, soccer and more in the NCAA's Division II. Mines students can also choose from more than 250 organizations or head off campus to check out a dozen nearby ski areas. A favorite campus tradition is E-Days, or Engineering Days, which takes place every spring and includes not only a cardboard boat race in a Colorado river but also concerts, a Tesla coil demonstration and fireworks on campus. Another fun fact: Rather than a parchment diploma, graduates of Mines receive a silver diploma engraved with degree details.