Colorado School of Mines announces admission guarantee for qualified graduates of all Colorado high schools

GOLDEN, Colo., Sept. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Colorado School of Mines – Colorado’s top-ranked public university and one of the nation’s premier STEM-focused universities – will offer guaranteed undergraduate admission to all qualifying Colorado residents graduating from a Colorado high school who apply to begin their undergraduate studies in Fall 2027 or later.

Students admitted through the Mines Golden Guarantee are eligible to pursue any of the undergraduate engineering and applied science majors offered by Mines, including its newest programs in quantum systems engineering, construction engineering, and business engineering and management science. This state-wide admissions guarantee is the first of its kind in Colorado.

“We want Colorado families to know that if their high school students work hard, challenge themselves, demonstrate they are ready and have an interest in engineering and applied sciences, their admission to Mines is guaranteed,” Mines President Paul C. Johnson said. “We know these students will be successful at Mines, and we want to help keep top talent in Colorado. We hope many of them will join our collaborative and creative Oredigger community, take advantage of the unique living-learning-doing and professional development opportunities that we offer, and ultimately leave with highly respected degrees and prepared to be the next generation of technical and business leaders.”

To qualify for guaranteed admission, Colorado residents must apply by the November 1 priority deadline and meet academic requirements related to GPA, coursework rigor and performance. Students who are accepted under the Mines Golden Guarantee will also receive a minimum $2,000 per year merit scholarship.

One of the nation's premier engineering and applied science universities, Mines is consistently ranked among the top 40 public universities in the U.S., recognized for its high return on investment not only immediately after graduation but throughout the careers of our more than 40,000 alumni. More than 1,250 employers actively recruit Mines graduates each year. The Mines Golden Guarantee is available to Colorado residents graduating from any Colorado high school.

The specific academic requirements are as follows:

• Academic Standing:
  • Unweighted GPA of 3.8+, OR
  • Unweighted GPA of 3.6+ paired with a minimum SAT score of 1420 or ACT composite of 32.
• Coursework Rigor & Performance:
  • No grades below a "B-" in any math or science course
  • Successful completion of pre-calculus or trigonometry (at minimum)
  • Completion of three years of lab-based science, including chemistry and/or physics

Applications must be received by the November 1 priority deadline to be eligible for guaranteed admission. Applications received after that date will be subject to the normal application review process. Priority Action at Mines is nonbinding, and students will have until May 1 to decide whether to accept their offer of admission.

Colorado students continue to have multiple pathways to Mines. Students who do not meet the guaranteed admission criteria are still strongly encouraged to apply to Mines. The Mines Admissions team conducts a comprehensive holistic review for every student who applies, taking their full academic and personal context into consideration.

“The Mines Golden Guarantee is meant to be a benchmark for automatic acceptance, not a barrier to entry,” said Lori Kester, associate provost for enrollment management at Mines. “In fact, over a third of Colorado residents accepted to Mines this fall did not meet at least one of the guaranteed admission requirements, including high school GPA. We review each application holistically, looking beyond any single metric to understand a student’s fit, potential and personal journey. We want every qualified student who can thrive at Mines — regardless of their background or path to get here — to see Mines as a place where they belong and can succeed.”

The Mines Golden Guarantee builds on the success of STEM admissions partnerships that began with Jeffco Public Schools in 2025 and have since expanded to DSST Public Schools and Mesa County Valley School District 51.

Those special STEM admissions pathways will continue, with the Mines Golden Guarantee extending a similar level of clarity and certainty to qualified students across the state of Colorado, regardless of the school district in which they are enrolled. "One thing the admissions team has learned from our current guaranteed admissions partnerships is that clearly outlining the pathway to Mines provides students, parents and high school counselors with greater clarity about the curriculum students should take in high school,” said Jen Gagne, executive director of admissions at Mines.

Mines is hosting events for prospective students throughout the fall to get questions answered, make connections and learn about what makes Mines unique. The next Discover Mines is scheduled for Sept. 26 – sign up to attend on the Mines Admissions website.

More information about the Mines Golden Guarantee can be found on the Mines website.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Erich Kirshner, Media Relations Specialist, erich.kirshner@mines.edu