About Us
At The Art Institute of Colorado, you become part of a vibrant, energetic learning community where you are supported and encouraged to do your best. It’s a community where we celebrate diversity. It’s a community bound by mutual respect for individuality and creativity.
The Art Institute of Colorado is located in Denver, one of America's great cities and a location sure to inspire your creativity.
The Art Institute of Colorado is part of The Art Institutes, a system of schools with more than 40 locations throughout North America.
History & Mission
From a professional technical-career college known as The Colorado Institute of Art to our current The Art Institute of Colorado, we're proud to celebrate 55 years of helping creative people learn the skills they need to become a success in their chosen field.
The mission and primary responsibility of The Art Institute of Colorado shall be to provide higher education programs leading to professional opportunities in the field of art and design, culinary arts and technology preparing graduates for job entry and career advancement.
This mission is accomplished by:
- Fostering student success
- Continuing to employ faculty who possess industry experience and who exhibit excellence in teaching
- Promoting growth through program offerings that meet employment needs
- Ensuring program integrity and graduate outcomes
- Fostering personal and professional growth for faculty, staff and students
- Implementing a comprehensive and ongoing program for assessing student learning as a key component of institutional effectiveness
- Continual institutional improvement and effective management of change
- Encouraging and valuing diversity within our students, faculty and staff
About Colorado
The Art Institute of Colorado has been a leader in art and design education for 55 years. The school offers career-focused diplomas, bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in design, creative and applied arts, creative and business management, and culinary arts. The Art Institute of Colorado is located in downtown Denver.
Located at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Denver has the tenth largest downtown in the U.S. This energetic, young city has 300 days of sunshine, brilliant blue skies and stunning mountain scenery down every street. Downtown Denver is home to three new sports stadiums, 300 restaurants, a restored historic district filled with boutiques, restaurants and brewpubs, a collection of museums, a variety of galleries and shopping, the second largest performing arts center in the nation, three college campuses and even a unique downtown amusement park, Elitch Gardens.
Denver is a clean and green city with over 200 parks and dozens of tree-lined boulevards. The architecture reflects the city's three boom periods: Victorian, when silver was discovered in Leadville; turn-of-the-century, when gold was discovered in Cripple Creek; and contemporary, when the energy boom added 16 skyscrapers to the downtown skyline in a three year period, 1980-1983.
The Art Institute of Colorado is situated in the Golden Triangle Museum District - a quirky, artsy, eclectic neighborhood. The Golden Triangle neighborhood hosts Denver's most prominent cultural attractions in the Civic Center Cultural Complex: Denver Art Museum, the Michael Graves-designed Central Denver Public Library, Colorado History Museum, Denver Mint, Byers-Evans House and Civic Center Park. Acoma Street, the primary corridor through the Golden Triangle to the Civic Center Cultural Complex.
A one-hour drive finds world-class skiing and water sports, amidst the breathtaking Rocky Mountain scenery. In the mountains, and right in the city as well, opportunities for biking, hiking, rollerblading and other individual sports abound.
Many students make their first career contacts in Denver, at the hub of business for the western United States. Thriving professional organizations, major corporations, high-tech companies, top-notch retail fashion stores, hotels, restaurants, design firms and many other creative organizations offer chances for professional networking and future employment.
Facilities and Resources
The Art Institute of Colorado’s facilities and resources provide students with a wide array of creative learning options and opportunities. Black-and-white and color photography labs, film and photography stages, film editing equipment, computer labs, a professional recording studio, fabrication shops, printmaking labs, classrooms, an art gallery, culinary labs/kitchens, a comprehensive library, industrial design shop and many other vital resources support and enhance our students’ learning experience.
Accreditation
The Art Institute of Colorado is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL, 60602,1.800.621.7440, www.ncahlc.org.