Colorado’s universities and research centers are leading the charge to educate the next generation of aerospace workers. Three of the state's research universities are members of the Universities Space Research Association.
- The University of Colorado Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) receives more NASA funding than any other public university and is also a leading university for training astronauts and providing a pipeline of qualified aerospace workers. - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)
A proven training ground for future space scientists and engineers, the LASP at CU-Boulder is the only university based institution in the world to have designed and built space instruments for NASA that have been launched to every planet in the solar system. - The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS)
The Air Force Space Command designated UCCS as the Space Education Consortium’s lead university to educate the nation’s future aerospace workforce. - United States Air Force Academy
An accredited college to educate officers in the U.S. Air Force, the Academy hosts 20 research centers and institutes with more than 400 professionals and faculty dedicated to space, science, air, and atmospheric research, as well as modeling and simulation, totaling $65 million in economic impact annually. - Colorado School of Mines
The University's Center for Space Resources is dedicated to the human and robotic exploration of space. -
The Colorado School of Mines’ Space Resources Program is the world’s first multi-disciplinary graduate program focused on educating scientists, engineers, economists, entrepreneurs, and policy makers in the developing field of space resources.
- The Alliance for Development of Additive Processing Technologies, a world-class characterization center for additive materials headquartered at the Colorado School of Mines, was established in 2015. Founding members include Faustson Tool, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., and Lockheed Martin, which contributed contributed more than $4 million in cost share to create the center.
- Colorado State University (CSU)
Nationally known for its programs and institutes dedicated to atmospheric science and research, CSU houses the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA). - Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver)
MSU Denver is revolutionizing aviation and aerospace education with its Aerospace Engineering Sciences building, which houses multiple disciplines to answer the advanced manufacturing workforce needs for the aviation and aerospace industries.