University of Wyoming

Laramie, WY · founded 1886 · 12,000 students · public research university · Mountain West Conference

Known for: Wyoming's only four-year public university, known for its strong programs in energy research (particularly petroleum engineering), environment and natural resources, and agriculture, all set in a high-plains, frontier environment.

Rankings

U.S. News national: #216
Times Higher Education: #601

Top programmes

Energy Resources (Petroleum Engineering)
Environment and Natural Resources
Agriculture
Atmospheric Science
Education
Law

Notable alumni

Dick Cheney — Former U.S. Vice President
Cynthia Lummis — U.S. Senator from Wyoming
Alan K. Simpson — Former U.S. Senator
James Cash Penney — Founder of J.C. Penney department stores
Rulon Gardner — Olympic gold medalist in wrestling
John J. Pershing — U.S. Army General (attended)
Temple Grandin — Renowned animal behavior expert (faculty)

Traditions

Homecoming 'Paint the 'W'' on a foothill
The 'Wyo' chant and 'Cowboy Joe' mascot
The 'Border War' rivalry with Colorado State University
Friday Night Fever pep rallies

If University of Wyoming were…

As a food: Beef jerky from a gas station in Rawlins — Tough, no-frills, sustaining, and deeply tied to Wyoming's ranching heritage. UW is practical nourishment for a harsh environment — not fancy, but exactly what you need to survive and thrive in a place that doesn't coddl
As an athlete: Josh Allen — Wyoming-raised quarterback who went from overlooked small-town kid to NFL star through sheer toughness and arm strength. UW students have that same chip-on-shoulder resilience, proving themselves in a place most people o
As a person alive today: Chris LeDoux — Wyoming rodeo champion turned country music legend who never lost his connection to the land and the cowboy life. UW embodies that same authenticity — students who stay rooted in Western values while pursuing modern care
As a historical figure: Nellie Tayloe Ross — First female governor in US history, elected in Wyoming in 1924 when the state was still frontier territory. UW has that pioneering spirit — small, isolated, but punching above its weight and producing leaders who shape
As a movie or TV show: Brokeback Mountain — Set in Wyoming's vast, unforgiving landscapes where isolation shapes identity and survival requires resilience. UW students navigate that same terrain — literal and metaphorical — learning to thrive in a place defined by
As a US president: Calvin Coolidge — Quiet, frugal, unflashy, and deeply committed to self-reliance and limited government. UW operates with that same understated competence — serving a state that values independence over intervention, practicality over pre
As a city: Anchorage, Alaska — Isolated regional hub serving a vast, sparsely populated state, where residents embrace harsh weather and develop fierce loyalty to place. UW is Wyoming's Anchorage — the educational and cultural center for people who ch
As an element: Uranium — Dense, powerful, and deeply embedded in Wyoming's geology and economy. UW's energy programs, geology research, and connection to the state's extractive industries make it the uranium of higher ed — controversial, essenti
As a car: 1996 Ford F-250 Powerstroke — UWyo is the dependable workhorse of the Rockies—traditional, no-frills, built to handle brutal Wyoming winters and wide-open spaces. It's friendly, resilient, practical, and has been running strong since statehood in the

Campus life

UW offers a tight-knit, traditional college experience in the remote, high-altitude town of Laramie. School spirit runs high, especially for Cowboy athletics. The student body is known for its resilience and friendliness, with a strong sense of community despite the challenging climate.

The film, scored

This profile answers “if University of Wyoming were a movie or TV show?” with Brokeback Mountain (2005). Set in Wyoming's vast, unforgiving landscapes where isolation shapes identity and survival requires resilience. UW students navigate that same terrain — literal and metaphorical — learning to thrive in a place defined by space, weather, and the constant test of endurance. It sits in the 86th percentile on rankquant, which re-centres every critic score on the reviewer who gave it, so a percentile means position against peers rather than a raw star average. The full film & TV catalogue ranks the rest the same way.