Red Rocks Community College (RRCC) Academics and Admissions

Academics

Established in 1969, Red Rocks Community College was founded in Colorado as a new Community College of Denver campus. By 1971 construction of the present Lakewood campus was approved, and completed in 1973. In 1990 the campus expanded to include the Arvada campus, featuring high-tech modern facilities.

With over 650 courses pertaining to over 150 programs, students have a wide selection when choosing a two-year degree or professional certificate program. The 14,000 annual students at Red Rocks Community College are able to choose from classroom courses, online courses, self-paced courses and weekend classes. As a community college Red Rocks keeps class sizes below 20 students, and offers support services like free tutoring, advising, child care, learning and resource centers, English as a Second Language instruction, and student employment.

As a two-year college Red Rocks Community College offers associate of arts, associate of science, associate of general studies, and associate of applied science degrees, and an AA/AS General Education Transfer Program which all of Colorado’s four-year state colleges and universities accept. Degree programs are offered in exciting areas like speech-language pathology and audiology, computer technology, fire science, health careers and law enforcement. The CISCO Academy and multimedia programs in computer technology are also amongst the featured degree programs at Red Rocks Community College. In-demand job training is offered in areas like the Emergency and Public Service department- the largest in the state- with training for police, fire and EMT professionals. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training center on campus is the second-largest in the country.

Red Rocks Community College is set on 140 acres in Lakewood, Colorado, and students enjoy breathtaking views of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Denver is only minutes away from campus, with other surrounding cities including Arvada, Golden, Lakewood and Wheat Ridge. Many of the top ski slopes and natural attraction in Colorado are located within an hour’s drive of Lakewood.

Most Popular Fields of Study

Information Summary

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Overall Score (about)	Insufficient Data
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$5,958
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	26 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	N/A / N/A
Enrollment Total (all students)	7,384

Admissions

Red Rocks Community College admissions are open to high school graduates, non-graduates and high school enrolled students 17 years of age and older. The first step is to complete an application form to receive a User ID number. International students should instead contact the International Education Office directly. Colorado residents should complete the Colorado Opportunity Fund application online, in order to save money on tuition.

All degree-seeking applicants must complete Accuplacer exams, or be otherwise assessed for reading, writing and mathematical ability levels. Some applicants with previous coursework at the college or university level will be exempt.

Informational campus visits are available regularly throughout the week, including a 30 minute tour. Accepted applicants as well as potential applicants are invited to participate.

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Financial Aid

To receive financial aid all students must fill out a FAFSA. This must be done each year the student enrolls at Red Rocks Community College. More than 2,000 students receive financial assistance in some form at Red Rocks. Students must first reference the Financial Aid Handbook before applying for financial aid, and must be aware that Priority Dates have been established for the first-come, first-served Financial Aid awarded.

In order to qualify for financial aid matriculated students must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or otherwise eligible as a non-citizen. Types of available financial aid include Grants, like the need-based Federal Pell, Colorado State, Supplemental Educational Opportunity, and Colorado Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Grants; and Loans/Self-Help aid, including Federal and Colorado work-study programs. Red Rocks Community College participates in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Student Loan Program for direct loans. Personal loans may also be a good choice for some students.

In addition to FAFSA Red Rocks Community College is supported by the nonprofit organization the Red Rocks Community College Foundation, founded in 1993. More than $400,000 goes towards supporting programs and initiatives in support of Red Rock students annually. Students may qualify for scholarships, grants, Student Voice Grants or the Teaching Chair award. Funds for these financial aid initiatives are made up of support from hundreds of donors.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 6330th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Colorado.

Students

With 14,000 students a year attending Red Rocks Community College, campus is always buzzing with activity. While the vast majority of students are in-state Colorado residents, there are out-of-state and international students on campus. Red Rocks Community College is a commuter campus, where the majority of students live in the surrounding communities of Denver, Arvada, Golden, Lakewood and Wheat Ridge. The school does, however, provide an unendorsed listing of housing, roommate, rental and apartment overview listings on its website.

On the weekends students at Red Rocks Community College enjoy Denver nightlife, or head out for a hike on one of the many area mountain trails. Downtown Denver offers restaurants, clubs, bars, shopping, professional sports teams, museums, art galleries and more. For live entertainment students head to the nearby Red Rocks Amphitheater- a popular concert venue. For outdoor recreation Lakewood is a nature-lover’s dream with mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing, whitewater rafting, fishing, camping and more only a short drive away from campus.

Red Rocks Community College also offers more than 20 student clubs and organizations like the Phi Theta Kappa Academic Honor Society, the Campus Green Initiative, the Frisbee Club, the Photography Rocks Club, the Rock Stars Sports Club, and the Video Game Club. Campus activity centers The Den and Great Hall have many board games, billiards, TV, a pinball machine, and video games which students congregate around. Sports clubs include Frisbee golf, half pipe, and tennis.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Student Graduation Demographics

Red Rocks Community College