Metropolitan State University of Denver campus
Denver, United States
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Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver·university

74%

Acceptance rate

$30,684

Tuition/yr

21,000

Enrollment

About Metropolitan State University of Denver

Public university in Denver, CO. Strong business, education, and STEM programs serving urban Denver.

Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) is a public four-year university founded in 1965. It enrolls approximately 18,336 students and operates on the 126-acre Auraria Campus in downtown Denver, a shared urban campus it occupies alongside the University of Colorado Denver and Community College of Denver.

MSU Denver offers more than 100 majors across six colleges and schools, with particular strengths in aviation and aerospace science (one of the largest collegiate aviation programs in the United States), AACSB-accredited business programs, ABET-accredited computer science and engineering technology programs, health sciences, and hospitality management. The university holds Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) status and approximately 54% of students identify as people of color.

The university is a commuter-oriented, non-residential campus served directly by Denver light rail, placing students within easy reach of Denver's downtown business district and within roughly an hour of Rocky Mountain ski and outdoor destinations. MSU Denver intentionally positions itself as an affordable access institution and carries among the lowest tuition rates of any four-year public university in Colorado.

World University Rankings

US News Best Global Universities (2025)##86 Regional Universities West (2026)

Campus & Location

Province

CO

Campus setting

Urban

Cost of living: Housing: USD 900–2,500/mo | Food: USD 380–650/mo | Costs vary widely by city.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

All graduates qualify for 12-month OPT. STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total work authorisation.

For Nepali students

  • MSU Denver's AACSB-accredited business programs and ABET-accredited computer science and engineering technology degrees qualify graduates for the 24-month STEM OPT extension on top of the standard 12-month OPT, giving Nepali graduates up to three years of US work authorization after completing their degree.
  • International undergraduate tuition is approximately $30,684 per year (2025 rate), which is significantly lower than most US private universities and many flagship state universities, making it a comparatively affordable option for Nepali families funding studies abroad.
  • The university's aviation and aerospace science department is one of the largest in the country, offering a pathway that is rare among affordable public institutions and relevant for Nepali students targeting the growing aviation sector in Nepal and the wider region.
  • Institutional scholarships for international students are extremely limited and not guaranteed; Nepali applicants should budget for the full cost of attendance of approximately $48,488 per year and actively seek external funding sources before enrolling.

Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents

A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:

GPA 3.060%+ in NEB +2, B+ average in Cambridge A-levels, or Second Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.370%+ in NEB +2 or First Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.675%+ in NEB +2 or First Division with Distinction in a TU bachelor's degree.
IELTS 6.5The most common graduate minimum — achievable with 2–3 months of focused preparation. IELTS 7.0+ needed for the most competitive programs.

Use our GPA converter to translate your exact score to the 4.0 scale.

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Data last verified: 2026-06-19 · Source: https://www.msudenver.edu. Information may change — verify with Metropolitan State University of Denver’s official website before applying.