Master’s in Data Science Programs in Colorado

Thinking about earning a data science degree in Colorado? Here are some things you may want to know about earning a master’s in data science in Colorado, Colorado schools, job prospects, online alternatives, graduate scholarships and networking opportunities. If you’ve already packed your snowboard, feel free to skip ahead to the list of all the data science programs in Colorado.

Studying Data Science in Colorado

Nicknamed “Silicon Mountain,” the Centennial State has a lot going for it.

• Booster organizations like the Colorado Technology Association are seeking to drive investment into areas like the Denver Tech Center (DTC).
• The Colorado government is supporting activity with its open data portal, Colorado Information Marketplace (CIM), and the related app challenge, Go Code Colorado.
• Denver is a hub for technology training, thanks in part to General Assembly and Galvanize, companies offering in-person and online education for jobs in data science in Colorado and elsewhere.
• Boulder is home to Techstars Boulder and the Boomtown Accelerator.

Data Science Research and Initiatives at Colorado Universities

Some of the growth in data science in Colorado is fueled by the state’s university system, including the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder and its OffIce of Data Analytics (ODA), specializing in data analysis, data collection and visualization. Here are some of the ways Colorado schools are investing in data science:

• Supported by its Research Computing resources, CU Boulder’s Department of Computer Science has a variety of initiatives. In 2015, the university also created the Earth Lab. Meanwhile, over at the Computational Bioscience Program, graduate students are applying unusual computational approaches to significant biomedical questions.
• CU Denver has a dedicated Big Data Management and Mining Lab (BDLab), with projects funded by industry and government, and an active Mobile and Networked Systems (MNS) Laboratory. To encourage start-ups, the Business School has also built the Center for Information Technology Innovation and the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship, which serves as a networking hub for new businesses.
• The department of computer science at the University of Denver (DU) is particularly interested in information security and privacy and humane gaming. DU regularly hosts statewide Analytics Challenge at the Daniels College of Business.
• The department of computer science at Colorado State University (CSU) has several active research projects in areas that include big data, AI and bioinformatics. One of its big data specialists, Sangmi Pallickara, was the recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. Colorado State also houses the Data Science Research Institute, which develops theories and tools to address challenges with complex data sets.

Online Data Science Programs in Colorado

General information about online master’s in data science is covered elsewhere. The following information examines what makes programs in Colorado unique.

Online Graduate Certificates in Data Science

Online graduate certificates in data science in Colorado may help you to prioritize career goals. Depending on your level of knowledge, you might be interested in:

• Groundwork: Graduate Certificate in Data Analysis from CSU-Fort Collins.
• More advanced skills: Graduate Certificate in Data Science from Regis University.
• Industry-focused: Certificate in Business Intelligence from CSU-Global.

If you’re trying to develop a particular set of skills, have a look at our master list of online graduate certificates in data science.

Online Master’s Degrees in Data Science

When it comes to online master’s in data science degrees, Colorado’s offerings can be divided into two categories: nonprofits and for profits. The nonprofit category includes schools like CSU Fort Collins and CU Denver:

• CSU Fort Collins is the flagship university of the CSU system, and its online Master of Applied Statistics (MAS) echoes the campus experience. Students are taught by the same faculty.
• CU Denver’s online MS in Information Systems-Business Intelligence has the same requirements as the campus program, with the same faculty.

The for-profit category includes Aspen University and Colorado Technical University (CTU), which offers a doctoral program.

Data Science Bootcamps in Colorado

Live in Colorado and want to pursue a career in data science or data analytics? You may want to consider attending a data science bootcamp in Denver or other state locations. Bootcamps are short-term, intensive programs dedicated to quickly help equip participants with the basics necessary to work in the field.

Some bootcamps in Colorado focus on data science, which is the study of how knowledge can be extracted from various forms of information. Other bootcamps concentrate on data analysis, a more practical approach to drawing conclusions from information. Other types of bootcamps may combine the study of both data science and data analytics.

Learn more about data science bootcamps offered online, in person or in a hybrid format, or look into data analytics bootcamps.

Data Science Scholarships in Colorado

We chose to focus on institutional aid that would cover the school’s data science programs, but don’t take this as the end. The graduate studies office of each school can refer you to general scholarships and fellowships and other sources of financial aid.

Colorado State University-Fort Collins

• Department of Statistics Awards & Scholarships: This department administers the data-focused Master of Applied Statistics (MAS) degree and offers a variety of awards to current statistics students, including the Elmer E. Remmenga Scholarship in Applied Statistics.

Colorado Technical University

• Lifelong Learning Grant:The LLG is given to Colorado Technical University alumni who have achieved their degree and wish to pursue their next level degree at CTU (e.g., a master’s degree to the Doctor of Computer Science with a concentration in big data analytics).
• Other Grants & Scholarships: Depending on your background, you may also be eligible for some of CTU’s other institutional grants and scholarships. Check the website for details.

University of Colorado-Boulder

• Department of Computer Science Assistantships and Fellowships: The department offers Teaching Assistantships (TAs) and Research Assistantships (RAs) to its MS students. Fellowships are also offered to PhD students.
• Leeds School of Business MS Scholarships: Merit-based scholarship awards are available for MS candidates, including MS in Business Analytics students.

University of Colorado-Denver

• Big Data Science and Engineering (BDSE) PhD Fellowship: TThis PhD fellowship award covers both tuition and fees for the doctoral program and provides students with an annual stipend of up to $34,000 (depending on the student’s level of financial need).

Data Science Events in Colorado

Data Science Meetups and Communities in Colorado

Colorado offers several meetups devoted to specific technologies, tools (e.g., Denver R User Group), and industries (e.g. Energy Tech Hub Hub). Here are some of the bigger data science events in Denver and other areas:

1. Analyze Boulder (AB): AB is a very active community of data geeks who live, work and play in Boulder, Colorado. Members give short, TED-style talks once a month on data topics that they’re focusing on.
2. Boulder/Denver Big Data: This meetup is geared toward educating the Boulder/Denver community about emerging big data technologies. Members are encouraged to share their experiences and expertise in NoSQL and big data technologies.
3. Colorado Data Science: Organized by Galvanize, Colorado Data Science has a lot of members (4,000+) and a number of meetups, including happy hours and fireside chats with start-up entrepreneurs.
4. Sponsored by scores of big names, including Cloudera and Tableau, this meetup hosts a lot of tech-heavy talks and live classes.
5. New Tech Colorado: New Tech is a meetup of almost 15,000 tech lovers and is the largest community-run group in the state. It hosts monthly events in Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and Longmont.
6. CU Denver Data Science: The University of Colorado Denver hosts clubs and discussion groups related to technology, including cybersecurity, digital forensics, location data technology and machine learning.

Data Science Conferences and Workshops in Colorado

Major data science conferences in Denver and the surrounding area (e.g., Strata Data Conference, Predictive Analytics World, IEEE Conferences, SIGKDD, The Machine Learning Conference.) may only stop in Colorado once in a while. Here are homegrown events worth considering:

1. Boulder Startup Week and Denver Startup Week: Both cities host separate startup weeks. Boulder Startup is currently being hosted in May online only. The Denver Startup event is a hybrid event in September. There are talks, trips and networking opportunities.
2. Colorado Tech Summit: Championed by the Colorado Technology Association (CTA), this one-day summit includes keynotes from prominent tech leaders and hands-on workshops in areas like virtual reality, cybersecurity, Internet of Things and smart cities.

Data Science Jobs in Colorado

Are you looking for data science jobs in Colorado?

• The with a projected job growth of 20% between 2018 and 2028, according to O*Net OnLine. This is much faster than the average growth rate of all other occupations.
• Denver added 2,942 jobs in the database, data scientist and computer scientist category in 2020, according to a 2021 CompTIA report.

The headquarters of MapQuest and Photobucket are located in Colorado. So too is the office of Oracle-owned Datalogix in Broomfield, Colorado. Over in the River North (RiNo) district, the Catalyst has some opportunities.

And then there’s Boulder. Boulder has companies like Rally Software, SolidFire, an IBM campus and the research we mentioned at CU Boulder. People often talk about the small-town feel and the excitement around new projects.

But if you’re thinking of working in Colorado, you don’t have to be limited by geography. The state’s start-up attitude—creating data science companies where once there were rocks—has spread itself beyond the major metropolitan areas. Pluralsight Flow was founded at a coworking facility in Durango.

Data Scientist Salaries in Colorado by City

According to data from O*NET OnLine in 2020, the annual median data scientist salary in Colorado was $92,320. This is lower than the $98,230 national annual median salary for data scientists. The highest-paid 10% of data scientists working in Colorado earned an average of $151,940 annually, while the bottom 10% earned $53,780 or less. Salaries for data scientists and related mathematical science careers in Colorado can vary depending on where you work within the state. For example, the annual median salary for data science and related careers in the Boulder area was higher than the state average for those careers.

Following is the median salary breakdown for data scientist occupations in some Colorado cities in 2020, provided by O*NET.

• Denver-Aurora-Lakewood area: $93,690
• Colorado Springs: $63,110
• Boulder: $103,790
• Fort Collins: $90,350

Last updated: February 2022

Interested in STEM Careers? 

If you’re looking for information on career paths that involve STEM, see our guides below:

Data Science and Analytics Careers:

• Data Scientist
• Statistician
• Data Architect
• Data Engineer
• Data Analyst
• Business Analyst
• Business Intelligence Analyst
• Financial Analyst
• Quantitative Analyst

Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Information Careers:

• Computer Engineer
• Computer Scientist
• Information Security Analyst
• Computer and Information Research Scientist
• Computer Systems Analyst

Marketing and User Research Careers:

• Marketing Analyst
• Market Research Analyst
• Digital Marketer
• UX Designer 

Compare Careers and STEM Fields:

• Data Analyst vs Data Scientist
• Computer Science vs. Computer Engineering
• Cybersecurity vs. Computer Science
• Data Analytics vs. Business Analytics
• Data Science vs. Machine Learning

Related Graduate STEM Degrees

• Master’s in Business Analytics
• Master’s in Information Systems
• Master’s in Computer Engineering
• Master’s in Computer Science 
• Master’s in Cybersecurity Programs
• Master’s in Accounting Analytics
• Master’s Applied Statistics
• Master’s in Business Intelligence
• Master’s in Data Analytics for Public Policy
• Data Science MBA Programs
• Master’s in Geospatial Science and
• Geographic Information Systems
• Master’s in Health Informatics
• Master of Library and Information Science

Related Undergraduate STEM Degrees

• Online Bachelor’s in Data Science
• Online Bachelor’s in Computer Science
• Sponsored: Computer Science at Simmons

Data Science Programs in Colorado

We found 8 universities in Colorado offering Masters of Data Science programs (and/or closely related programs, like MS in Analytics / Masters in Business Analytics). The university’s website will have the most up to date information on specific programs.

If you represent a university and would like to contact us about editing any of our listings, or adding new programs, please send an email to info@mastersindatascience.org.

This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.