Thousands of Denver Public Schools students are set to receive admission letters from the University of Colorado Denver in the coming months — even if they didn’t apply.
For the first time, CU Denver is granting automatic admission and fee waivers to all DPS seniors with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Juniors can also apply, but must maintain their GPA.
If students apply by Nov.1, they will receive an official decision by mid-November for the next year’s fall semester, university officials told Denverite.
The new pathway is the result of an agreement between DPS and CU Denver, which went into effect with a signing ceremony on Tuesday afternoon.
“Denver Public Schools is deeply committed to expanding higher education opportunities for our students,” DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero said in a press release. "Higher education is one of many paths for our students after high school, and this partnership with CU Denver is a milestone that provides accessible, quality education, empowering them to thrive personally and professionally in Colorado."
According to CU Denver, in 2024-25, nearly 1,500 degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled from DPS schools to their institution. Of these, more than 475 were new enrollees last year. CU Denver officials are anticipating an increase with the DPS agreement.
It builds on other automatic admission programs in the state. CU’s undergraduate schools in Boulder, Colorado Springs and Denver already grant automatic admission to qualifying Colorado Community College students. The University of Northern Colorado admits qualifying 3.0 students from schools across the state, and Colorado School of Mines is making a similar offer to certain Jeffco graduates with a 3.8 GPA.
Christensen said in a release that the partnership will make higher education more accessible.
“As Denver’s premier public urban research institution, today’s announcement reinforces our deep commitment to the city and, most importantly, to the students of Denver Public Schools,” Christensen wrote. “Guided by our public service mission, we are proud to expand pathways to CU Denver and help drive economic mobility for DPS students, their families, and their communities.”
