Education & Training

photo of schoolchildren

In 2007, Forbes Rankings rated the Fort Collins area 7th out of 200 areas nationally for educational attainment. First-class educational opportunities start at the elementary and secondary levels with three high performing school districts, Park (Estes Park), Poudre and Thompson. In CSAP scores, Larimer County scored higher than state averages. In 2004, both Park and Poudre School Districts ranked in the top quarter of scores at proficient or advanced reading levels (Colorado Department of Education).

Larimer County's main university, Colorado State University, is situated in Fort Collins and has achieved numerous distinctions for its more than 150 programs of study. Front Range Community College in Fort Collins and Aims Community College in Loveland offer undergraduate core classes, professional instruction and general interest courses. In 2006, the United States Census Bureau ranked Colorado fifth in the nation in percentage of the population aged 25 and older with a college degree (Current Population Survey). The Progressive Policy Institute's 2002 State New Economy Index ranked Colorado's workforce as the second most educated in the nation (The State New Economy Index).

Public, College, & Technical Education