Hey dude, there are plenty of great colleges in Colorado, with access to skiing. Fort Lewis, Western State, and CMC are not some of them though. I would not pay out of state tuition ever at any of these schools. University of Colorado at Boulder is an awesome school, (there is a branch in Denver as well) they have a really good Business school, A pretty expansive arts and sciences school for liberal education, and some awesome science professors. CU professors have won the Nobel Prize in physics the past 2 years in a row. DU is an awesome school, although expensive. Their business program is one of the top programs in the Country. It is located in Denver which is a pretty cool city, don't know what else to say. CC is in Colorado Springs, and is a liberal arts college. They have very good programs, although Colorado Springs is not my choice for best cities in Colorado. There is Mines, which is definitely where to go if you are intersted in Engineering, or geology, that type of stuff. Mines is in Golden, with really good access to the highways that take you up to the major ski areas. CSU, is the state school, good aggie programs, vet programs, etc., Fort Collins is not as convenient for skiing as say Boulder or Denver though...hope this helps.