Debt puts higher ed in the red

FORT COLLINS — Debt loads at Colorado’s major research universities have more than doubled in the past 10 years, as the schools embarked on a building boom to upgrade dorms, athletic facilities and classrooms.

The borrowing costs at the University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University and Colorado School of Mines are being paid largely by student tuition and fees, which also have more than doubled. Private gifts have also helped cover some of the costs.

At the same time, state support for the schools has dropped by roughly two-thirds.

The University of Northern Colorado in…