About
A land-grant university, chartered in 1871
Pathify University is a public research university in Riverbend, Colorado, classified R1 for very high research activity. It enrolls 31,400 students and is accredited by the Midland Commission on Higher Education.
Our mission
A threefold obligation to the state
The mission set out in the 1871 charter has been reaffirmed by each Board of Regents since, and still governs how the university allocates its effort.
Education
To provide for the educational needs of the state through undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, across 140 majors, 90 minors and 210 graduate programs.
Research
To conduct research that contributes to the health, environmental and economic wellbeing of the state, supported by $412 million in annual expenditure.
Public service
To serve the people of the state and their local and county governments, from clinical placements in three partner hospitals to planning tools adopted by eleven municipalities.
The university at a glance
1871
Founded
As the state's land-grant college
31,400
Students
Across three campuses and Pathify Online
$412M
Research expenditure
FY 2026, Carnegie R1 classified
268,000
Alumni
Resident in 118 countries
2,410
Full-time faculty
At a faculty-to-student ratio of 1:13
Who we are
What a public university owes the state that founded it
Pathify is one of the state's two public research universities and its only land-grant institution. That status carries obligations that a private university does not have: the in-state tuition rate, the application fee set at $0, and a commitment to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for in-state students.
The university is governed by a Board of Regents and led by President Dr. Naomi Ellsworth, with academic affairs under Provost Dr. Marcus Oyelaran. Ten officers hold university-wide portfolios.
Our current students come from 96 countries. Separately, our 268,000 living alumni are resident in 118. Both figures describe reach, but they describe different populations and should not be read together.
A timeline of the university
1871
Chartered
Pathify opens as the state's land-grant college with four faculty and a first class of fewer than sixty students.
1964
Northgate opens
A second campus is built around the arts, the environmental sciences and social work.
1978
Pathify Health
Medical and nursing education consolidate on a single site beside Riverbend General.
2011
R1 classification
Carnegie reclassifies Pathify among doctoral universities with very high research activity.
2026
31,400 students
Enrollment reaches its highest point, with the Class of 2030 arriving 5,180 strong.
Our campuses
Riverbend
Main campus · 19,800 students
The original 1871 site and the largest of the three, holding most undergraduate programs, four of the eight colleges, the Hollis Main Library and Calderwood Stadium.
Visit this campusNorthgate
6,400 students
Opened in 1964 and organised around the arts, the environment and social work. Home to the School of Architecture & Environment and the Northgate Arts Library.
Visit this campusPathify Health
2,300 students
Medical and nursing education on a single site, adjacent to Riverbend General. Includes the College of Health Sciences, the School of Nursing and the Health Sciences Library.
Visit this campusPathify Online
2,900 students · Not a physical campus
Fully online degrees taught by the same faculty and awarded on the same terms. Counted in university enrollment but not among the three physical campuses.
Explore online study
Who leads the university
Dr. Naomi Ellsworth
President
Leads the university and reports to the Board of Regents. The Ellsworth Lecture in Public Policy is held each October at Morrow Auditorium.
Dr. Marcus Oyelaran
Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Holds responsibility for all academic programs across the eight colleges and schools, and for the 2,410 full-time faculty.
Dr. Renée Castellanos
Vice President for Student Affairs
Oversees housing, dining, student organisations and campus wellbeing across all three physical campuses.
Accreditation and classification
Pathify University holds institutional accreditation, and a number of individual programs hold separate accreditation from their professional bodies.
Midland Commission on Higher Education
The university's institutional accreditor. Pathify has held continuous accreditation since 1952, most recently reaffirmed in 2023.
Carnegie R1
Classified among Doctoral Universities with Very High Research Activity, on $412 million of annual research expenditure.
Programmatic accreditation
The B.S.N. and the D.N.P. are separately accredited, as are the engineering, architecture and social work degrees.
University news
Reporting from across the eight colleges, including the coastal flood model now used by eleven municipalities and the election of Dr. Yelena Marchetti to the National Academy of Sciences.
Browse all news
Public events
Eight events are scheduled this fall, including Family Weekend in October, Homecoming, and the Undergraduate Research Symposium in November.
See the events calendar
Reaching the university
Start with the main switchboard, or go directly to the office you need.
All department contacts- 1871 University Avenue, Riverbend, CO 80871
- (555) 000-0000
- info@pathify.edu
- Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain Time