The Colorado School of Mines is a public research institution dedicated to applied science and engineering. The College has the highest admissions standards of any university in the state and among the highest of any public university in the United States.

The Institution has distinguished itself by developing a research program and curriculum that highlights responsible stewardship of the earth and its resources. As well as strong education and research programs in traditional fields of engineering and science, Colorado School of Mines is one of a very few colleges in the world having broad expertise in resource exploration, extraction, production and utilization. Because of this the school occupies a unique position among the world's institutions of higher education.

Golden, Colorado, founded in 1859 as Golden City, served as a supply center for settlers and miners in the area. In 1866, Bishop George M. Randall arrived in the territory and saw a need for higher education facilities in the area, He began to plan for a university which would include a school of mines. In 1870, he opened the Jarvis Hall Collegiate School in a building just south of the town of Golden and in 1873, the School of Mines opened under the auspices of the Episcopal Church. In 1874, School of Mines became a territorial college and has been a state institution since 1876 when Colorado became a state. Courses offered to students during those early years included chemistry, metallurgy, geology, mineralogy, mining engineering, botany, math and drawing.