Forbes magazine has given a nod to Colorado State University (CSU) by featuring it on its coveted list of top 500 "dream" employers nationwide, and the institution has emerged as the leading educational employer in the state of Colorado. Sources indicate from a recent CSU announcement that this isn't CSU's first rodeo being recognized, the university was previously lauded as Colorado's top educational employer for women last summer and achieved the title of the best large educational employer in February 2024. Forbes had also ranked the school as the best educational employer in Colorado back in 2022.
Colorado State University's acclaim within the region is apparent, boasting a position of 18th among all Colorado employers, putting it notably ahead of the next educational institution in line, the University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus, which is placed at number 40. Nationally, CSU is outperforming even venerable Ivy League names, ranking at 304 on the Forbes list, four spots higher than Yale University. Within the Mountain West Conference and Pac-12 Conference, CSU stands out as the only educational institution that cut the list.
To compile the "America's Dream Employers 2025" list with rigor and relevance, Forbes collaborated with the market research agency Statista. This extensive survey stretched its queries to over 10,000 college students and more than 140,000 U.S.-based employees. The employers included all had to boast a minimum workforce of 1,000 people. Student respondents identified what they deemed to be dream employers and rated their level of excitement in potentially joining these organizations. They weighed in on the appeal of these employers based on growth opportunities, quality of work, compensation, and company reputation, as detailed by CSU.
The survey cast a broader net, incorporating feedback not just from students but also from current and past employees (who have been with employers within the last two years). These current workers evaluated their employers on several benchmarks including salary, professional development opportunities, workplace flexibility, and the extent to which employees can openly express ideas. To glean a holistic view, data for this survey was gathered and analyzed from the past three years, with current employee responses receiving more weight compared to older data or past employee insights. This comprehensive approach culminated in scoring employers and subsequently identifying the top 500 to grace the list, as reported by CSU.
