US CollegesColleges in Colorado: cost, admission and results
38 degree-granting colleges and universities in Colorado, with the admission rate, net price, graduation rate and earnings of each. The largest are University of Colorado Boulder (31,939 undergraduates), Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs (28,086 undergraduates), Colorado State University-Fort Collins (25,538 undergraduates).
Colorado at a glance
- Colleges on this site
- 38
- Public / private nonprofit / for-profit
- 17 / 9 / 12
- Median in-state tuition and fees
- $12,817
- Median net price a year
- $18,422
- Median admission rate
- 88%
- Median graduation rate
- 47%
- Median earnings 10 years on
- $55,168
No college in this list matches.
| College | Admission rate | Net price a year | Graduation rate | Median earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams State UniversityAlamosa, CO · Public | not reported | $8,585 | 37% | $51,295 |
| Apex College of Veterinary TechnologyColorado Springs, CO · Private for-profit | not reported | $13,555 | 100% | not reported |
| Arizona College of Nursing-AuroraAurora, CO · Private for-profit | 100% | $31,514 | not reported | $41,223 |
| Bel-Rea Institute of Animal TechnologyDenver, CO · Private for-profit | not reported | $20,499 | 18% | $44,298 |
| Colorado Chinese Medicine UniversityDenver, CO · Private for-profit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Colorado Christian UniversityLakewood, CO · Private nonprofit | not reported | $28,605 | 69% | $52,025 |
| Colorado CollegeColorado Springs, CO · Private nonprofit | 18% | $27,951 | 86% | $70,914 |
| Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO · Public | 61% | $32,901 | 82% | $102,077 |
| Colorado School of TradesLakewood, CO · Private for-profit | 91% | $25,187 | 76% | $50,801 |
| Colorado State University GlobalDenver, CO · Public | 98% | $17,732 | 26% | $82,047 |
| Colorado State University PuebloPueblo, CO · Public | 95% | $8,851 | 42% | $58,700 |
| Colorado State University-Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO · Public | 89% | $22,247 | 68% | $66,947 |
| Colorado Technical University-Colorado SpringsColorado Springs, CO · Private for-profit | not reported | $17,860 | 19% | $44,720 |
| Community College of AuroraAurora, CO · Public | not reported | $3,714 | 25% | $48,949 |
| Community College of DenverDenver, CO · Public | not reported | $4,799 | 14% | $44,120 |
| Denver College of NursingDenver, CO · Private for-profit | not reported | not reported | not reported | $90,917 |
| Denver SeminaryLittleton, CO · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Fort Lewis CollegeDurango, CO · Public | 77% | $20,090 | 36% | $49,164 |
| Galen Health Institutes-AuroraAurora, CO · Private for-profit | not reported | not reported | not reported | $69,188 |
| Iliff School of TheologyDenver, CO · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Institute of Taoist Education and AcupunctureLouisville, CO · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Lamar Community CollegeLamar, CO · Public | not reported | $6,523 | 44% | $42,998 |
| Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO · Public | 99% | $13,803 | 31% | $57,612 |
| Naropa UniversityBoulder, CO · Private nonprofit | 100% | $31,713 | 15% | $36,917 |
| Nazarene Bible CollegeColorado Springs, CO · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | $44,955 |
| Pikes Peak State CollegeColorado Springs, CO · Public | not reported | $4,709 | 23% | $45,162 |
| Regis UniversityDenver, CO · Private nonprofit | 86% | $18,133 | 55% | $79,971 |
| Rocky Mountain College of Art and DesignLakewood, CO · Private for-profit | not reported | $32,562 | 37% | $45,764 |
| Rocky Vista UniversityParker, CO · Private for-profit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spartan College of Aeronautics and TechnologyBroomfield, CO · Private for-profit | not reported | $29,404 | 67% | $64,753 |
| Taft University SystemDenver, CO · Private for-profit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| United States Air Force AcademyUSAF Academy, CO · Public | 14% | not reported | 84% | not reported |
| University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO · Public | 78% | $23,708 | 74% | $77,574 |
| University of Colorado Colorado SpringsColorado Springs, CO · Public | 97% | $14,954 | 46% | $61,386 |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, CO · Public | 75% | $10,217 | 49% | $69,387 |
| University of DenverDenver, CO · Private nonprofit | 78% | $31,961 | 74% | $77,205 |
| University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, CO · Public | 86% | $18,711 | 49% | $56,980 |
| Western Colorado UniversityGunnison, CO · Public | 100% | $16,756 | 48% | $53,355 |
"Not reported" means the Department of Education has no figure, often because the college is small, new, or does not take first-time students. Medians are the middle value of the colleges listed here.
The colleges of Colorado in brief
Of the 38 colleges listed for Colorado, 17 are public, 9 are private nonprofit and 12 are private for-profit. By level, 23 mainly award bachelor's degrees, 9 mainly award two-year associate degrees and 6 mainly award graduate degrees. Together they teach about 190,138 undergraduates, 74% of them at public colleges. The three largest, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs and Colorado State University-Fort Collins, hold 45% of the total, and the middle-sized college has 3,079 undergraduates. The towns with the most colleges are Denver (11), Colorado Springs (6) and Aurora (3).
What college costs in Colorado
At the public colleges, the median published tuition and fees are $10,345 a year for students from Colorado and $22,564 for students from elsewhere. At the private nonprofit colleges the median is $45,299. Published prices are not what most families pay. Counting colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, the lowest average net price after grants is at Community College of Aurora ($3,714) and Pikes Peak State College ($4,709) and the highest at Colorado School of Mines ($32,901) and Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design ($32,562). The median net price across the state, $18,422, is 6% above the national median of $17,357.
Getting in
18 of the 38 colleges report an admission rate. The hardest to get into are United States Air Force Academy (14% admitted), Colorado College (18% admitted) and Colorado School of Mines (61% admitted). 15 of them admit at least seven applicants in ten. 12 colleges have an open admission policy and report no rate: they do not turn applicants away on grades or test scores.
Finishing and earning
Among colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, the highest share of students finishing their course is at Colorado College (86%), United States Air Force Academy (84%) and Colorado School of Mines (82%). The median graduation rate of the state's colleges is 47%, against 49% for the country. Ten years after starting, former students with federal aid earn the most at Colorado School of Mines ($102,077), Denver College of Nursing ($90,917) and Colorado State University Global ($82,047). The state median for that measure is $55,168, 4% above the national $53,132. Students who finish leave with a median federal loan debt of $20,500 (national median $19,994). Earnings follow the subjects a college teaches as much as its quality, so compare like with like.
Questions about colleges in Colorado
How many colleges are there in Colorado?
This site lists 38 open, degree-granting colleges and universities in Colorado, out of 3,161 on the whole site. Schools that mainly give short certificates are not counted.
What is the largest college in Colorado?
University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, with about 31,939 undergraduate students.
Which college in Colorado has the lowest net price?
Among colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, Community College of Aurora: students with federal aid paid an average of $3,714 a year after grants. Students from other states or countries usually pay more.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.