I am 5'4" and not super strong either, so weight for carry really mattered to me. No matter how much you think you will just roll the bike, you end up carrying it up stairs, I found. Sometimes LOTS of stairs (like our public transit stations). I went with the Bike Friday pakiT. Because you can configure the bike exactly the way you want, you can determine the weight you will end up lifting and carrying. Just remember, less weight = more $, lol. My sweet spot was 19lbs, and the bike ended up a little over the top of your budget. If you can carry a few more pounds than I, you can end up much closer to $1400, around 22 lbs. The pakit comes with 8 speeds if you go with a rear derailleur (Brompton maxes out at 6). You can have it built up as a 10 speed if you want, which might be better in Colorado. You can get an internal hub if you want and a belt drive is an option as well. I went with the standard rear derailleur and chain because it's easier to fix flat tires and I don't mind shifting at all. BF service is fantastic and it's here in the US.
Consider also that you might be riding in snow in Colorado. I have no idea if one can put snow tires on a pakiT or a Brompton. If you call BF they can tell you.
Consider that bikes get stolen on campuses a lot - will you be able to take the bike inside everywhere you go or will you need to lock it up sometimes? A more expensive bike can be a target; be sure to purchase some form of bike theft insurance (maybe you can add a special rider to homeowner's insurance or renter insurance).
Feel free to reach out if you have any ? about the pakiT or BF in general, I'll be glad to share my experiences.

Oh...I should add...BF also has an electric motor kit for their pakiT in case those hills are just too much, lol.