Colorado Mesa University, in Grand Junction, Colorado, is dedicated to providing an exceptional educational experience in a student-centered environment featuring small class sizes and a high level of student-faculty interaction. The school has a long history of growth and evolution. Founded in 1925, the institution originally started as a junior college enrolling 39 students. In 1937, the school was renamed to Mesa College and began offering baccalaureate programs in 1974. The institution went through another renaming process in 1988 and became Mesa State College, reflecting its development and ongoing change. In 1996, the institution began offering its first master's program. Under strong leadership, the school continued to expand in both campus size and student enrollment. In 2011, the Board of Trustees and the State of Colorado officially renamed the institution Colorado Mesa University. The change reflects the growth that the school has seen over the years and further advances the institution as a learning community.
Today, enrollment exceeds 10,000 students. The university offers more than 100 undergraduate programs of study — at the certificate, associate and bachelor's level — along with graduate programs in business administration, education and nursing. To help achieve its goal in meeting the educational needs of western Colorado, a two-year open-admission division, Western Colorado Community College (WCCC), was created in 2005. WCCC was renamed to CMU Tech in 2023. CMU Tech offers both technical certificates and associate degrees. The university also has a branch campus in Montrose, Colorado. Campus expansion to accommodate an ever-growing student body has resulted in state-of-the-art learning facilities in the heart of Grand Junction.
With all that has changed in the institution's nearly 100-year history, a dedication to providing the highest quality education in a student-centered environment has always remained. This principle that will continue to guide the momentum of Colorado Mesa University into the future.