Colorado College welcomes 553 incoming members of the Class of 2026 and 31 transfer students.
The on-campus portion of the New Student Orientation begins Saturday, Aug. 20, and concludes Wednesday, Aug. 24. From Thursday, Aug. 25 through Saturday, Aug. 27, students will embark on their Priddy Trip Experience, the off-campus portion of NSO.
The Class of 2026 was selected from 11,026 applicants, a record-number, and had an admittance rate of a little over 11 percent.
Twenty-five percent of the Class of 2026 identify as students of color. There are 41 dual citizens.
The incoming class comes from 47 states and 15 countries. Seventeen percent of the class are from Colorado, 24 percent are from the Northeast, 16 percent are from the Midwest, 24 percent are from the West, and 15 percent are from the South.
The Class of 2026 includes musicians, athletes, entrepreneurs, activists, and scientists. One student was part of Andrew Yang’s mayoral campaign, while another canvassed for Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign. The incoming class contains competitive horseback riders, ski racers, and a whitewater guide. One student interned at the ACLU and another student traveled to Israel to teach lacrosse to kids.
Of the incoming students, 339 are receiving financial aid, which includes merit-based, need-based, and loans. Two hundred and seventy students are receiving need-based only financial aid.
The Class of 2026 speaks 31 languages, and a little over 4% of the class are international students.
The 31 transfer students are coming from 28 universities and colleges, and are between the ages of 18 and 21, with an average age of 20.
The 2022-2023 Common Read is “Lightning Flowers: My Journey to Uncover the Cost of Saving a Life” by Katherine E. Standefer ’07.
Classes begin on Monday, Aug. 29, as Colorado College starts its 149th academic year. The official inauguration of L. Song Richardson, the 14th president, will take place during Opening Convocation.