Published: Dec. 14, 2023

CU Boulder has been ranked among the nation’s top public and private universities in Time Magazine’s Best Colleges for Future Leaders.

Ranked No. 64 in the analysis, which examined the alma maters of 2,000 of the most influential leaders in the U.S. from business, government, academia and culture, CU Boulder was the only Colorado school included on the list. The analysis weighted the relative number of leaders by the size of school.

Founded in fall 2020 under the direction of Chancellor Phil DiStefano, the CU Boulder Center for Leadership supports leadership on campus by providing funding and working collaboratively with 32 affiliated leadership programs from across campus. 

“CU Boulder has long been a place where students can establish and cultivate their leadership skills, and I’m excited that this emphasis is growing under our Center for Leadership,” DiStefano said. “We know that leadership experiences in the formative college years are not simply valuable to students but crucial to building future leaders in our democratic society.”

Learn more

Students interested in exploring leadership within themselves can reach out to the Center for Leadership to learn more about the programs that they offer across campus.

With the belief that “leadership is within us all,” the center offers a multitude of high impact programs including professional coaching, experiential leadership intensives and a mentoring program to help support students on their leadership journey. All of these programs are open to students from across campus and are offered at no cost to the student.

“We know that employers want students who see themselves as leaders but are also able to work in teams, think critically and communicate effectively. This is why we are focused on working with students to help them develop their identity as leaders while also equipping them with tangible leadership skills,” said Stefanie K. Johnson, director of the Center for Leadership and associate professor at the Leeds School of Business.

With a mission of investing in the leadership potential of all students and developing ethical, impactful leaders, the center seeks to to help students across the campus better understand what it means to be a leader.

“There are many students on campus who don’t see themselves as leaders, but we can see the leadership potential within them and we try to bring their gifts to light through our programs and by supporting our affiliates,” said Jessi Follett, program coordinator for the Center for Leadership.