10-yr median earnings
$60,543
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Fort Collins, Colorado
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Colorado State University-Fort Collins is a public institution in Fort Collins, Colorado. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $21,279
- Avg net price / yr
- $60,543
- 10-yr median earnings
- 66.7%
- 150%-time completion
- 88.5%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
Colorado State University-Fort Collins pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with open admission.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 15%
- former-student earnings, US
- 88.5%
- acceptance rate
- 66.7%
- 150%-time completion
- +22%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Midsize
Carnegie: R1
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Colorado State University-Fort Collins profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
C+
College Value Score
62/100
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A-
$60,543
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$21,279
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate B-
66.7%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$20,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A-
78.7%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention B+
85.9%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$21,279
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
66.7%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 66.7%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Colorado State University-Fort Collins vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Colorado State University-Fort Collins ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Colorado State University-Fort Collins: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$60,543 Top 15% higher than 85% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $60,543 | #770 of 5103 | 85th |
| Average net price | $21,279 | #3331 of 5020 | 34th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 66.7% | #1686 of 4858 | 65th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 25,538 | #88 of 5462 | 98th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
25,538
Undergraduate enrollment
88.5%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
66.7%
150%-time completion
$60,543
10-yr median earnings
85.9%
First-year retention
How Colorado State University-Fort Collins ranks in Colorado
State rank among 69 reporting Colorado colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $60,543 | #10 of 69 | 86th |
| Average net price | $21,279 | #47 of 69 | 32nd (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 66.7% | #26 of 65 | 60th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 25,538 | #3 of 75 | 96th |
Highest former-student earnings in Colorado
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado School of Mines | $97,335 | $28,690 |
| 2 | Denver College of Nursing | $81,809 | - |
| 3 | Colorado State University Global | $76,813 | $16,510 |
| 4 | Regis University | $72,105 | $18,397 |
| 5 | University of Denver | $71,155 | $36,131 |
| 6 | University of Colorado Boulder | $69,738 | $25,346 |
| 7 | Colorado College | $65,222 | $33,375 |
| 8 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | $64,270 | $11,900 |
| 9 | Galen Health Institutes-Aurora | $61,480 | - |
| 10 | Colorado State University-Fort CollinsThis school | $60,543 | $21,279 |
| 11 | Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology | $59,093 | $30,065 |
| 12 | Colorado State University Pueblo | $55,563 | $10,051 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 88.5% |
| ACT Average | 26 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$13,259 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$14,460 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$15,905 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$29,763 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Colorado State University-Fort Collins - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $13,373 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $34,783 |
| Average Net Price | $21,279 |
21.1%
Pell Grant Rate
31.6%
Federal Loan Rate
$20,000
Median Debt
$212/mo
Monthly Payment
What students pay at Colorado State University-Fort Collins rose +29.4% since 2013
Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $15,707 in 2013 to $20,332 in 2023, a rise of $4,625 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $15,7072023 · $20,332
Over the same years, enrollment went +11.9% (22,482 → 25,148 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
55.0%
Female
24.2%
First Generation
Outcomes
85.9%
Retention Rate
$49,748
Median Earnings (6yr)
69.7%
Earning Over $25K
78.7%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 66.7% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 85.9% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $49,748 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $60,543 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 69.7% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 78.7% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $20,000 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $212/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 63 | 5,033 | $63,747 | $114,076 | $20,671 |
| Master's | 33 | 1,352 | $76,716 | $136,709 | $36,123 |
| Doctoral | 4 | 88 | $121,601 | $144,730 | $48,453 |
| First Professional | 1 | 147 | $128,327 | $128,327 | $185,720 |
| Graduate Certificate | 1 | 37 | $127,821 | $127,821 | - |
Top programs at Colorado State University-Fort Collins by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Psychology, General
Psychology, General
$144,730 median earnings
- Chemistry
Chemistry
$139,296 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$136,709 median earnings
- Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary Medicine
$128,327 median earnings
- Finance and Financial Mana…
Finance and Financial Management Services
$127,821 median earnings
- Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
$115,946 median earnings
- Computer and Information S…
Computer and Information Sciences, General
$114,076 median earnings
- Engineering, General
Engineering, General
$111,730 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology, General | Doctoral | 16 | $144,730 | - |
| Chemistry | Doctoral | 32 | $139,296 | - |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's | 321 | $136,709 | $42,118 |
| Veterinary Medicine | First Professional | 147 | $128,327 | $185,720 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Graduate Certificate | 37 | $127,821 | - |
| Mechanical Engineering | Master's | 19 | $115,946 | - |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's | 189 | $114,076 | $21,569 |
| Engineering, General | Master's | 65 | $111,730 | - |
| Information Science/Studies | Master's | 70 | $106,679 | $20,962 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Doctoral | 22 | $105,391 | $48,453 |
| Information Science/Studies | Bachelor's | 13 | $102,765 | $23,869 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's | 67 | $99,172 | $25,176 |
| Fire Protection | Bachelor's | 8 | $98,019 | - |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's | 32 | $97,463 | $20,500 |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's | 75 | $97,271 | $20,549 |
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Texas A&M University-College Station
College Station, TX
$21,315 net price · $36 apart
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Kutztown, PA
$21,331 net price · $52 apart
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA
$21,193 net price · $86 apart
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI
$21,440 net price · $161 apart
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Colorado State University-Fort Collins? ▼
Colorado State University-Fort Collins is a public institution in Fort Collins, Colorado. The acceptance rate is 88.5%. Undergraduate enrollment is 25,538 students.
How much do Colorado State University-Fort Collins former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Colorado State University-Fort Collins who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $60,543 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $49,748.
How much does Colorado State University-Fort Collins cost? ▼
The average net price at Colorado State University-Fort Collins is $21,279. In-state tuition is $13,373 and out-of-state tuition is $34,783. Median student debt at graduation is $20,000.
What is the graduation rate at Colorado State University-Fort Collins? ▼
Colorado State University-Fort Collins has a 66.7% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 85.9%.
Is Colorado State University-Fort Collins worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Colorado State University-Fort Collins is $20,000, while former students earn a median of $60,543 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 33% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 78.7% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $212.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Colorado State University-Fort Collins
- Compare Colorado State University-Fort Collins against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Colorado side by side.Browse Colorado
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.