Published: Sept. 1, 2016

Where the Buffalo Roam 

 
Wherever in the United States you live, chances are good there’s a fellow Buff nearby. Today CU Boulder alumni number nearly 300,000 in all. They make their homes in all 50 states, most U.S. territories and about 140 foreign countries. It’s no surprise that the greatest share of alumni (142,945, or 50 percent) live in Colorado. North Dakota has the fewest resident Buffs, with 186. This map tells more of the story. 
 
Infographic map
 

287,665

Living alumni worldwide 

30

States with 1,000 or more resident Buffs 

37%

Graduated since 2000 

142

Foreign countries Buffs call home 

Living Alums by Decade*

  • 1930s: 1,627
  • 1940s: 4,632
  • 1950s: 11,437
  • 1960s: 23,511
  • 1970s: 38,423
  • 1980s: 40,524
  • 1990s: 49,840
  • 2000s: 58,683
  • 2010s: 39,826

Top 10 Metro Areas 

  • Denver: 59,401
  • Boulder: 33,645
  • San Francisco: 8,615
  • Longmont (Colo.): 7,688
  • Los Angeles: 6,528
  • Colorado Springs: 4,727
  • Seattle: 4,570
  • Chicago: 4,484
  • Washington, D.C.: 4,457
  • New York: 4,011 

*Based on available data; Sum is less than total alumni population.