Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Higher Education is to improve the quality of, ensure the affordability of, and promote access to, post-secondary education for the people of Colorado. In pursuing its mission, the Department of Higher Education will act as an advocate for the students and institutions of post-secondary education and will coordinate and, as needed, regulate the activities of the state’s post-secondary education institutions. 

Vision Statement

Higher education must fulfill its essential role in creating the conditions for a healthy state economy, a productive society and a high quality of life for the people of the state.  While serving these greater societal needs, the department and the state’s institutions understand that their main purpose is the rigorous instruction of students. The department, working together with the state’s institutions of post-secondary education, seeks a future for Colorado in which its institutions are accountable for continued improvement in the quality, efficiency and results of post-secondary education and are adequately funded to do so.