| Subject | QS | THE | ARWU | U.S. News |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veterinary Science | #6 | — | #30 | — |
| Earth & Geosciences | #40 | — | #7 | #39 |
| Agriculture & Forestry | #63 | — | #15 | #84 |
| Environmental Science | #90 | — | #35 | #40 |
| Water Resources | — | — | #76-100 | — |
| Geography | #201-250 | — | #101-150 | — |
| Biotechnology | — | — | #101-150 | — |
| Biological Sciences | #251-300 | — | #151-200 | #167 |
| Statistics | #251-275 | — | #151-200 | — |
| Communication & Media | — | — | #151-200 | — |
| Natural / Physical Sciences | #189 | — | — | — |
| Civil Engineering | #201-275 | — | — | — |
| Economics & Econometrics | #501-550 | — | #201-300 | #319 |
| Sociology | — | — | #201-300 | — |
| Physics & Astronomy | #501-550 | — | #401-500 | #212 |
| Life Sciences & Medicine | #269 | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | #351-400 | — | #301-400 | #293 |
| Education | #301-350 | — | — | — |
| Business & Management | — | — | #301-400 | — |
| Public Health | — | — | — | #309 |
| Mathematics | #501-600 | — | — | #371 |
| Psychology | — | — | #401-500 | #393 |
| Medicine / Clinical | #401-450 | — | — | — |
| Computer Science | #751-850 | — | #401-500 | — |
| Engineering & Technology | #451-500 | — | — | — |
| Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering | #501-575 | — | — | — |
Colorado State University ranks #458 in QS 2026, #550 in THE 2026, #301-400 in ARWU 2025 and #340 in U.S. News 2026. Its consensus position across the major rankings is #395 globally.
QS weights employer reputation and international metrics more heavily; THE places more weight on research influence and teaching environment. Differences of this size between the two systems are common — see our methodology comparison.