A student stands on a ridgeline at sunrise
News & Events
Family Weekend
Student Resources
Alumni Hub

Family Weekend is September 26–28, 2025!

There’s something for everyone, from a Meet-the-President Reception to cheering at the football game, wilderness hikes, performing arts, and much more.

Read about the can’t-miss moments and how to register on our Family Weekend page; don’t miss out on making memories with your Mountaineer!

Family Weekend

Navigating the College Experience

New to campus? Just need a refresher on available resources? The Student Resources page has quick explanations and guidance on everything!

Resources

Curious about what’s happening with Alumni Relations?

Check out upcoming events, networking opportunities, alumni stories, and ways to stay connected with Western’s proud alumni community.

Visit the Alumni Hub

A one-of-a-kind college experience.

  • Football athletes run onto the field through pink smoke.
  • A skier skis out of a powder slash.
  • A student, looking off into the distance, wears a cap and gown as she stands on a high alpine ridge with a large peak behind her at sunrise.
  • A student walks through sagebrush holding a butterfly net with big mountain views behind.
  • Western Theatre company performs a dance during the dress rehearsal for Tartuffe.
  • A graduate student wearing a cowboy hat smiles as he stands on Verzuh Ranch wetlands with cattle and Whetstone Mountain behind him.
  • A skier slides a rail in front of the library while students cheer for him in the background. A motion blur effect is used in this photo.
  • A professor demonstrates how to inject a water sample to a student as they stand outside in front of a pond.
  • Seen from Van Tuyl Ranch, the collegiate "W" on Tenderfoot Mountain is lit on fire during the first night of Homecoming weekend.
  • A rainbow is seen above Taylor Hall at sunset
  • A skier grabs her skis while jumping in the air on a blue sky day with mountains in the background.
  • A student in the crow section holds his hands up in a W during a football game.
  • An ROE land-based class in single file backpacks up a flat mountain meadow with the Castles and West Elk Peaks in the background.
  • Mechanical Engineering students create a rail for Rail Jam in the Maker Space in the Rady Building.
Life at Western Colorado University is anything but ordinary. Here, you won’t just sit in a lecture hall—you’ll dive into hands-on courses, connect with professors who know your name, and explore big ideas in small classes. Surrounded by a Rocky Mountain backdrop, your education goes far beyond the classroom, blending academic challenge with real-world application.

News

Mountain and forest view
News

Growth in Severe Wildfires Likely Isn’t Over

Western forests are experiencing unprecedented and alarming growth in severe wildfires, with the area burned in high-severity fires each year fifteen times greater than it…
Mountain Sports

Western Colorado University MTB Kicks Off Season Strong at Powderhorn
Press Release

Western Colorado University Launches New School of the Arts
Newsroom

Events

Sep 14

Mountaineer Madness

Sunday, September 14, 12:00am
Sep 16

Music Cruise and Welcome Back Western!

Tuesday, September 16, 5:30pm
Sep 16

Western Freeride Team Meeting

Tuesday, September 16, 7:00pm
Sep 19

Basecamp Western: Open House

Friday, September 19, 9:30am
Sep 19

Women's Soccer vs California State University, San Bernardino

Friday, September 19, 3:00pm
All Events
Mt. Crested Butte peeks through a low layer of clouds in a blue sky day.

A Local's Guide to the Gunnison Valley

Get familiar with the different communities, recreational opportunities, and views our students get to call home.

Explore the Valley