Why Summer?
By participating in summer session students have the opportunity to graduate and earn earlier and potentially reduce educational expenses. CSU summer session offers a unique opportunity to focus on one or few courses at a time. This makes summer a great time to complete a challenging course, participate in experiential learning, gain career-based experience, or fulfill a prerequisite.
Three of five students participate in summer session during their CSU journey.
Student Experiences: The Value of Summer Study
Study in person or online
Accessible Transcript: Study in person or online
Additional insights: Study in person or online and catch up or get ahead on credits. Easily search four-, eight-, 12-week, and additional-length terms, field experiences or internships. Gain new perspectives through summer experiential learning at the CSU Mountain Campus or with Education Abroad.
Graduate and celebrate with friends
Accessible Transcript: Graduate and Celebrate with Friends
Additional Insights: Stay in town with your friends and make new ones this summer while staying on track with your graduation plans. Or try something new or that you’re not good at (yet) that may become a passion!
Carli is practicing the skills featured in this video learned through her CSU minor in American Sign Language. The Intersection mural was created through a summer collaboration of CSU graduate students, artist Armando Silva, and local volunteers through Community Engagement in the Arts.
Research, experiential learning, community
Accessible Transcript: Research, Experiential Learning, and Community
Additional Insights: Gain career-building skills through research, labs, and field courses. Deepen ties with peers and faculty with on-campus experiences. Take advantage of the summer opportunity to learn at the CSU Mountain Campus. Explore summer experiential programs for admitted students, including research, Education Abroad and Bridge Scholars.
Easily search courses and learn more about summer financial aid.
Advice for summer, ways to enjoy campus
Accessible Transcript: Advice for Summer, Enjoy Campus
Additional insights: Summer brings a quiet energy with more time to focus deeply and connect with others. Shorter summer terms create time to study and work with room for play and exploring our beautiful surroundings. Improve your GPA, balance your coursework over fall, spring, and summer, and create a summer experience that is uniquely yours.
Easily search courses and explore insights for success in the short terms of summer session.
How summer session helps students
Accessible Transcript: How Summer Session Helps Students
Additional insights: The short terms of summer offer opportunities to create a summer experience unique to you. Explore a new or favorite subject and expand your knowledge and skills, while making progress toward graduation.
Nonresident undergraduates pay 30% less for summer base tuition. Summer financial aid is available to students who meet eligibility criteria regardless of residency.
Summer Session 2025 registration
Accessible Transcript: Summer Session 2025 registration begins March 25 on RAMweb
Additional insights: Registration for Summer Session 2025 begins Tuesday, March 25 (the Tuesday after Spring Break) on RAMweb. Registration continues on a space-available basis through the add/drop period for each class.
In-person, online and hybrid courses are easy to search by subject, term within summer session, online, and AUCC core classes at Search Courses.
Flexibility to work, financial aid
Accessible Transcript: Aaron’s CSU Summer Experience
Additional insights: Aaron chose CSU because the Office of Financial Aid offered him the strongest financial aid package. Additionally, because a four-week on-campus summer course would allow him to earn credits and then complete his out-of-state military job training. He also received a scholarship through CSU’s Adult Learner and Veteran Services.
Visit the Office of Financial Aid’s resource for summer financial aid and explore your options for summer and beyond by connecting with a financial aid counselor.
Internship provides career insight
Accessible Transcript: Colleen’s CSU Summer Experience
Additional insights: Colleen benefited from CSU’s undergraduate nonresident summer base tuition rate which is reduced 30% from fall and spring semesters. A New Jersey native, she explored life in the Midwest to experience different areas of the United States. Colleen’s CSU coursework prepared her for her internship experience and she was able to gain more from the courses that followed. She learned she wanted to change her area of focus within her major to better suit her career goals.
Explore summer internships and jobs through CSU’s Career Center, or consider summer experiential learning opportunities.
Get ahead to graduate and pursue career
Accessible Transcript: Naeemah’s CSU Summer Experience
Additional insights: By completing one or two courses each summer, Naeemah stays ahead in credits so she can graduate earlier which can reduce the cost of attendance. This can create opportunities for greater career earnings over time. She receives financial aid through the Department of Athletics and family Veteran Benefits.
Online, in-person, and hybrid courses are easy to search.
Study online and be with family
Accessible Transcript: Brisa’s CSU Summer Experience
Additional insights: A first-generation student, Brisa attended summer session courses with support of the CSU Tuition Assistance Grant available to undergraduate Colorado residents who meet eligibility criteria. She gains career-based experience through her campus work-study job. Earning summer credits is helping Brisa graduate in four years while pursuing a major, minor, and two concentrations. She is looking forward to using her education to help others!
Easily search courses and learn more about summer financial aid.
In-Depth Insights from Student and Faculty on CSU Summer Session
Accessible Transcript: In-depth student and faculty perspectives on summer session
Additional Insights: Students and faculty provide their perspectives on the unique value of CSU summer session. With in-person and online courses, the condensed summer terms allow an immersive focus on fewer courses and an experience distinct from fall and spring semesters.
Faculty and students alike appreciate the opportunity to connect with each other. They describe creating community and making lifetime memories. Students can take advantage of summer session to gain career-based experience, get caught up on credits or even get ahead and graduate earlier. Additionally, students can meet the challenge of reaching beyond their comfort zone while exploring or discovering a new passion.
Students who take summer courses tend to persist and graduate at higher rates, especially students seeking to improve their GPA or who struggled during their first academic year.
CSU summer session courses are available in terms of four, eight, and 12-week terms and terms of varying lengths. Discover what is possible and easily search courses.
Discover Summer at CSU
Imagine summer at CSU – Summer session courses, K-12 Programs, and experiential programs for admitted students such as Education Abroad. Students may explore internships, working on or off campus, in K-12 Programs, or at the CSU Mountain Campus through the CSU Career Center.