Founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell in his daughter's memory, the college offers over 40 majors and 30 minors, and enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduates at its 90-acre (36 ha) campus.

Notable alumni include Diana DeGette, Liz Cheney, Dutch Clark, Thomas Hornsby Ferril, James Heckman, Steve Sabol, Ken Salazar, and Marc Webb.

[citation needed] William F. Slocum, president from 1888 to 1917, oversaw the initial building of the campus, expanded the library and recruited top scholars in a number of fields.

[citation needed] Katharine Lee Bates wrote "America the Beautiful" during her summer teaching position at Colorado College in 1893.

[12] Its most popular undergraduate majors, by 2021 graduates, were:[13] Colorado College is considered a "most selective school" by U.S. News & World Report.

[26] The college's motto is the Latin phrase Scientia et Disciplina, translated as "Learning through Hard Work"[27] or "Acquiring Knowledge and Living It".

Up until their junior year, students are required to live on campus in one of the residence halls or small houses, while apartments and student-owned cottages are available to upperclassmen.

[31] Many of the earliest campus buildings, including Bemis, Cossitt, Cutler, McGregor, Montgomery, Palmer, and Ticknor Halls, are on the National Register of Historic Places, along with Shove Memorial Chapel and the William I. Spencer Center.

The face of campus changed again at the beginning of the 21st century with construction of the Western Ridge Housing Complex, which offers apartment-style living for upper-division students and completion of the Russell T. Tutt Science Center.

[citation needed] Colorado College's Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center, completed in 2008 and located at the intersection of a performing arts corridor in Colorado Springs, is home to the college's film, drama and dance departments and contains a large theater, several smaller performance spaces, a screening room, the I.D.E.A.

CC dropped its intercollegiate athletic programs in football, softball, and women's water polo following the 2008–09 academic year.

Professor Woodson "Chief" Tyree, Director of Radio and Drama Department at Colorado College was the founder and inspirational force in the program that one day became KRCC-FM.

KRCC began over the air broadcasting in April 1951 as the first non-commercial educational FM radio station in the state of Colorado.

[citation needed] KRCC broadcasts through a series of eleven transmitters and translators throughout southern Colorado and a portion of northern New Mexico.

Board members include Robert J. Ross, France Winddance Twine, and alumni Frieda Ekotto and Joe Ellis.