Aurora Public Schools

Aurora Public Schools (APS) is the sixth-largest school district in Colorado and number one for students earning postsecondary workforce credentials. it enrolls more than 40,000 students that are from 130 countries and speak 160 different languages. APS students have the opportunity to learn side-by-side with students from all over the world. Because students interact with others from different backgrounds and cultures, they learn to think globally and from other perspectives.

• Aurora Public Schools

APS STEM students, photo courtesy of Aurora Public Schools

Cherry Creek School District

Cherry Creek School District (CCSD) serves more than 300,000 residents across eight municipalities including Aurora and has the third-highest number of National Board Certified teachers in Colorado. The district provides all students with rigorous and relevant learning experiences to become leaders who create solutions that contribute to the betterment of our global society. College and career preparedness and success are priorities. The district is home to the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus, a stand-alone college and career preparedness facility accessible for high school students in the Cherry Creek Schools. With curriculum rooted in real-world skills and trade certifications ranging from the computer sciences to aviation to health sciences, this facility offers students a new kind of bridge to college and viable, successful careers.

• Cherry Creek School District

CCSD students, photo courtesy of Cherry Creek Public Schools

Science & tech

STEM Programs

There is a strong tie between the science and tech talent in Colorado and how STEM programs feed into the talent pipeline. Aurora has numerous schools with STEM programs and both APS and CCSD have STEM options for students. One example, the Aurora Science and Tech (AST) Middle School, operates as an open enrollment STEM charter school located in the Fitzsimons footprint, giving it a tangible connection to the bioscience and healthcare industries.

• Aurora Science & Tech Middle School

Colleges and Universities

Colorado has a total of 165 public (2-year and 4-year), private ,and seminary institutions plus another 354 private occupational institutions.  Higher education in the state is ranked 9^th in the nation according to U.S. News and World Report.  Many of Colorado’s largest universities are tied to world-class research facilities and labs creating a strong tie to the state’s core industries.  

Top five colleges and universities in Colorado according to enrollment:

• University of Colorado Boulder (36,000+ students) https://www.colorado.edu/ 
• Colorado State University Fort Collins (33,000+ students) https://www.colostate.edu/ 
• Colorado Technical University Colorado Springs (26,000+ students) https://www.coloradotech.edu/ 
• University of Colorado Denver (25,000+ students) https://www.ucdenver.edu/ 
• Colorado Technical University (22,000+ students) https://www.coloradotech.edu/ 

The Community College of Aurora enrolls nearly 8,000 students and the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s ix schools in Aurora enroll about 4,500 students.  Both significantly contribute to the talent pipeline in Colorado by graduating students with top in-demand degrees.

• Community College of Aurora  https://www.ccaurora.edu/ 
• University of Colorado Medical School  https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/ 

Colorado School of Mines

University of Denver Sturm College of Law

University of Colorado Boulder

Powerhouse Energy Campus of Colorado State University

Education choice

Vocational and trade schools

Vocational and trade schools help fill important gaps in workforce while offering valuable alternatives to 4-year universities. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 98% of career technical education (CTE) graduates in Colorado find jobs, apprenticeships, or military positions within six months of completing their programs. There are nearly two dozen vocational and trade schools in Colorado.

• Industry Connections