Scenic view of the CMC Spring Valley Campus shot from a drone

The first of CMC's 11 campuses built in the mid-'60s, the Spring Valley campus has been completely renovated with new academic buildings, a nurse education center, a theatrical stage, a student center, dining hall, student lounge, residence hall, prototype lab, an outdoor education center, field house, one of the Western Slope's highest indoor climbing walls, a veterinary tech farm, a nursing simulation lab - and one of the best views of Mount Sopris in the valley. Photo by Seth J. Andersen

Spring Valley campus invites prospective students to Visit Day July 25

By Carrie Click

Although Colorado Mountain College’s Spring Valley campus is familiar to many of us, there are Roaring Fork Valley locals who have never been to Spring Valley and surprisingly don’t realize that the campus exists. They also don’t realize the campus provides an excellent choice for local students looking for a high-quality, higher education college right here in the valley, at a surprisingly low cost.

And while affordable housing is virtually impossible to find, the campus offers housing in its 222-resident Sopris Residence Hall complete with a full-service dining hall steps away. Added to that, CMC has one of the least expensive bachelor’s degrees in the state if not the country – in one of the priciest valleys in U.S.

With fall semester approaching, CMC Spring Valley is inviting prospective students, friends and parents to visit the campus from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, July 25. This will give community members the opportunity to learn more about the college and the Spring Valley campus, take a tour, learn about academic programs and have lunch in the newly remodeled dining hall. This event is in person but is subject to change depending on local COVID regulations. For more information and to register for this free event, go to Spring Valley Visit Day.

Students such as Oliver Semple, who graduated from Aspen High School in 2021, lives on campus at Sopris Residence Hall while studying professional photography at Spring Valley. As well as enjoying small class sizes and quality faculty, he’s spending far less than what he would if he were paying rent in the area or attending school out of town or out of state.

During Visit Day, visitors from Aspen to Rifle, and from Gypsum to Glenwood who didn’t know already will learn that it’s possible to earn a college degree right in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys. An education at Colorado Mountain College is high quality, highly affordable and can lead to dozens of career paths.

Most Colorado Mountain College students enroll during late summer for CMC’s fall semester. Prospective students are deciding if they can afford college, and how they’re going to afford housing. They might not realize that an affordable, quality education – with housing and meals – is available right here at Colorado Mountain College.

CMC Spring Valley factoids:

Youngest/oldest residence hall student resident: 17 to 70 years old

Programs: Over 100 academic programs

Costs – living expenses: 

  • Sopris Residence Hall – $3,100-$4,200/semester
  • Meal plan (required) starts at $2,460 (two meals per day/semester plus $100 flex)
  • Fees (includes technology fee, field house, activities) - $330/semester

Costs – tuition:

  • Tuition (in-district) – starts at $95/credit hour for associate/bachelor’s degrees

For more information, go to residence halls/housing costs and tuition costs.