Building a Future Workforce
By helping build the workforce of the future, we are ensuring Downtown Denver businesses have access to top talent.
Downtown Denver offers a diverse array of educational opportunities.
Nearly 50,000 students attend public, not-for-profit institutions of higher education in the center city, and more than 10,000 attend various trade and private for-profit institutions with classroom space.
Pre-K through High School
Downtown Denver has a number of high quality pre-K, elementary, middle and high schools throughout its neighborhoods. From the Downtown Denver Expeditionary School to the nationally ranked East High School, options range from the traditional to innovative and there are options that work no matter what learning environment you are looking for.
Click here to learn more with the Denver Public Schools School Finder.
Spotlight on the Downtown Denver Expeditionary School (DDES)
The Downtown Denver Partnership helped create DDES in 2012 to provide a high quality public elementary school in the heart of Downtown and to serve families who live, work or attend school in or near Downtown. The academic model is Expeditionary Learning, with an emphasis on Integrated Arts and Mathematics. DDES offers education for students K–5. DDES will be inclusive and diverse, with a goal of 50 percent free and reduced lunch students. Innovation, choice, excellence and accountability are essential elements of this school.
Higher Education
The Auraria Higher Education Center is specifically unique as a higher-education community located in Downtown. Its 150-acre campus is home to three distinct academic institutions offering both four-year and advanced degrees, and Connecting Auraria to foster expanded physical and programmatic connections between the Auraria Campus and the rest of Downtown is also one of the seven transformative projects identified in the 2007 Downtown Area Plan. All offer low student/faculty ratios and are easily accessed via a range of multimodal transportation options.
University of Colorado Denver
Community College of Denver
Metropolitan State University of Denver
DIME Denver
Non-Traditional, Workforce Development and Vocational Schools
There are a number options available for those looking for non-traditional, workforce development or vocational courses in Downtown Denver, as well as several coding schools.