The Colorado School of Mines (Mines) is a public research university in Golden, Colorado, founded in 1874. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, science, and mathematics, with a focus on energy and the environment. While Mines does offer minor degrees in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, it only offers major degrees in STEM fields, with the exception of economics. In the Fall 2022 semester, the school had 7,408 students enrolled, with 5,733 in an undergraduate program and 1,675 in a graduate program. The school has been co-educational since its founding, however, enrollment remains predominantly male (68.5% as of Fall 2022). It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".
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Golden, Colorado, established in 1859 as Golden City, served as a supply center for miners and settlers in the area. In 1866, Bishop George M. Randall of Massachusetts arrived in the territory and, seeing a need for higher education facilities in the area, began planning for a university which would include a school of mines. In 1870, he opened the Jarvis Hall Collegiate School in the central building of the Colorado University Schools campus just south of the town of Golden, accompanied it with Matthews Hall divinity school in 1872, and in 1873 the School of Mines opened under the auspices of the Episcopal Church. In 1874 the School of Mines, supported by the territorial government since efforts began in 1870, was acquired by the territory and has been a state institution since 1876 when Colorado attained statehood. Tuition was originally free to residents of Colorado.
In 1878, Jarvis Hall’s main building and Matthews Hall were both destroyed by fires in the span of two days. The School of Mines building is the only structure of the complex left standing. Following the fires, the School of Mines enrollment grows, consisting of prospectors and mine owners. A school library is established with $250, and a gymnasium is built to support the growing student body.