PlainCollege

State profile · 84 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Colleges in Colorado

Colleges in Colorado from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.

84
Colleges
$44,265
Avg 10-yr earnings (69 of 84)
80.2%
Avg acceptance

Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

Colorado · the picture in one line

Colorado's 69 of 84 colleges that report earnings average $44,265 in 10-year former-student earnings - 21st highest of 56 states and territories that report.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

#21
of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
$97,335
top earnings - Colorado School of Mines
80.2%
avg acceptance (23 reporting)
32 / 15 / 37
public / nonprofit / for-profit

Best earnings-to-cost value among Colorado colleges with reported figures: Colorado State University Global.

Colorado · enrollment ≠ earnings

In Colorado, University of Colorado Boulder leads by undergraduate enrollment (31,939 students, #1 of 66) but ranks #6 of 66 on 10-year median earnings ($69,738), while Colorado School of Mines tops earnings at $97,335 (#1 of 66) with 6,155 students (#12 of 66). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

31,939
University of enrollment #1
$97,335
Colorado School earnings #1
#1
Enrollment rank of earnings leader
#6
Earnings rank of enrollment leader

Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.

Enrollment of Colorado's #1 campuses by size vs earnings

Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.

students

What this shows University of Colorado Boulder is largest by enrollment; Colorado School of Mines leads on 10-year earnings at $97,335.

Source IPEDS via College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

This page aggregates colleges and universities in Colorado returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.

The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in Colorado as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.

The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.

Largest Colleges in Colorado by Enrollment

IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.

students

What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.

Source IPEDS As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: Colorado

U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.

USD

What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.

Source College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

The ROI lens

Colorado colleges: earnings vs. cost

Colorado colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 14 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Colorado colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $27K $102K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $5K $38K Avg Net Price ($) University of Colorado Boulder: $70K earn · $25K net · 75% grad University of Colo… Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs: $37K earn · $17K net · 18% grad Colorado Technical… Colorado State University-Fort Collins: $61K earn · $21K net · 67% grad Colorado State Uni… Metropolitan State University of Denver: $52K earn · $15K net · 31% grad Metropolitan State… Front Range Community College: $46K earn · $13K net · 33% grad Front Range Commun… University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus: $64K earn · $12K net · 47% grad University of Colo… Pikes Peak State College: $41K earn · $6K net · 22% grad University of Colorado Colorado Springs: $55K earn · $16K net · 46% grad Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder: $32K earn · $13K net · 47% grad Colorado Mesa University: $46K earn · $15K net · 41% grad Colorado State University Global: $77K earn · $17K net Colorado School of Mines: $97K earn · $29K net · 81% grad Emily Griffith Technical College: $35K earn · $7K net · 92% grad University of Denver: $71K earn · $36K net · 77% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

National context

How Colorado ranks among the states

Colorado's average 10-year earnings of $44,265 place it in the 64th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.

Colorado: average former-student earnings vs. every state

State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$44,265 Top 36% higher than 64% of 56 states & territories

$24,000–$28,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $28,000–$32,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $32,000–$36,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $36,000–$40,000: 12 states & territories (21%). Below this entry. $40,000–$44,000: 14 states & territories (25%). Below this entry. $44,000–$48,000: 10 states & territories (18%). This entry sits in this band. $48,000–$52,000: 7 states & territories (13%). Above this entry. $52,000–$56,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. $56,000–$60,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. CO $24,000 $60,000 every state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. 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

Colorado vs. every state, at a glance
EarningsAffordabilityOptionsAccess

Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.

School type matters

How school type shapes earnings in Colorado

Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.

Average former-student earnings by school type - Colorado

Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

avg earnings

What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
84
Total Schools
$14,382
Avg In-State Tuition (43 of 84)
80.2%
Avg Acceptance Rate (23 of 84)
$44,265
Avg Median Earnings (69 of 84)
32 Public 15 Private NP 37 For-Profit
Ownership Breakdown

What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in Colorado

PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 84 postsecondary institutions in Colorado. The ownership mix is 32 public institutions, 15 private nonprofits, and 37 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 43 of 84 Colorado institutions that report one is $14,382, and the average admission rate among the 23 that report one sits at 80.2%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 69 of 84 Colorado colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $44,265, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.

All Schools in Colorado

School Name City Type Enrollment Acceptance Rate 10yr Earnings
University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Public 31,939 78.1% $69,738
Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs For-Profit 28,086 - $37,180
Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins Public 25,538 88.5% $60,543
Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver Public 15,002 98.8% $52,093
Front Range Community College Westminster Public 11,476 - $45,910
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver Public 10,519 74.7% $64,270
Pikes Peak State College Colorado Springs Public 9,595 - $40,796
University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs Public 8,697 97.4% $54,659
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder Boulder For-Profit 8,504 - $32,001
Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction Public 8,143 82.0% $45,823
Colorado State University Global Denver Public 6,563 98.4% $76,813
Colorado School of Mines Golden Public 6,155 60.7% $97,335
Emily Griffith Technical College Denver Public 6,123 - $35,487
University of Denver Denver Private NP 6,025 77.8% $71,155
University of Northern Colorado Greeley Public 5,598 85.9% $52,231
Colorado Christian University Lakewood Private NP 5,549 - $50,416
Arapahoe Community College Littleton Public 5,383 - $48,341
Community College of Denver Denver Public 5,096 - $39,095
Red Rocks Community College Lakewood Public 4,889 - $46,288
United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy Public 4,114 14.1% -
Aims Community College Greeley Public 3,635 - $41,887
Pueblo Community College Pueblo Public 3,619 - $37,434
Community College of Aurora Aurora Public 3,250 - $44,592
Fort Lewis College Durango Public 3,079 77.3% $46,349
Colorado State University Pueblo Pueblo Public 3,042 94.9% $55,563
Colorado Mountain College Glenwood Springs Public 2,816 - $44,127
Regis University Denver Private NP 2,627 86.5% $72,105
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design Lakewood For-Profit 2,050 - $42,958
Colorado College Colorado Springs Private NP 2,014 18.5% $65,222
Western Colorado University Gunnison Public 1,586 99.7% $46,833
Adams State University Alamosa Public 1,250 - $44,372
Lincoln College of Technology-Denver Denver For-Profit 1,212 - $46,396
Trinidad State College Trinidad Public 1,188 - $36,475
Intellitec College-Grand Junction Grand Junction For-Profit 1,077 - $31,541
Northeastern Junior College Sterling Public 786 - $39,893
Denver College of Nursing Denver For-Profit 757 - $81,809
Pickens Technical College Aurora Public 686 - $39,210
Intellitec College-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs For-Profit 679 - $42,169
Pima Medical Institute-Denver Denver For-Profit 664 - $38,673
Morgan Community College Fort Morgan Public 634 - $39,429
Otero College La Junta Public 619 - $39,018
Colorado Northwestern Community College Rangely Public 504 - $43,526
Lamar Community College Lamar Public 400 - $38,719
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology Broomfield For-Profit 397 - $59,093
Naropa University Boulder Private NP 339 100.0% $28,720
Arizona College of Nursing-Aurora Aurora For-Profit 336 100.0% $34,657
Pima Medical Institute-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs For-Profit 305 - $38,673
IBMC College Fort Collins For-Profit 297 - $34,432
Nazarene Bible College Colorado Springs Private NP 284 - $41,450
Aveda Institute-Denver Denver For-Profit 280 - $38,020
Pima Medical Institute-Aurora Aurora For-Profit 266 - -
Concorde Career College-Aurora Aurora For-Profit 256 90.5% $42,456
International Salon and Spa Academy Colorado Springs For-Profit 248 - $22,332
Paul Mitchell the School-Denver Lakewood For-Profit 213 - -
Paul Mitchell the School-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs For-Profit 204 - $27,683
National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement (NIMAA) Denver Private NP 194 29.4% -
Technical College of the Rockies Delta Public 165 - $45,516
Avalon Institute-Aurora Aurora For-Profit 162 - $24,367
Empire Beauty School-Thornton Thornton For-Profit 149 - $24,397
Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology Denver For-Profit 139 - $39,506
The Salon Professional Academy-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs For-Profit 121 - $28,934
Stacey James Institute Parker For-Profit 90 - -
Colorado School of Trades Lakewood For-Profit 85 90.9% $51,591
TIGI Hairdressing Academy Legacy Colorado Springs For-Profit 72 - $22,480
Empire Beauty School-Aurora Aurora For-Profit 70 - $24,022
Colorado School of Healing Arts Lakewood For-Profit 52 - $33,444
Empire Beauty School-Littleton Littleton For-Profit 48 - $24,022
Cheeks Beauty Academy Loveland For-Profit 46 - $25,459
Tuana European Beauty Academy Fort Collins For-Profit 42 - -
Colorado Media School Denver For-Profit 38 - $37,423
Apex College of Veterinary Technology Colorado Springs For-Profit 27 - -
Academy of Natural Therapy Inc Greeley For-Profit 13 - $25,770
Dr. Ida Rolf Institute Boulder Private NP 12 100.0% -
Montessori Education Center of the Rockies Denver Private NP 10 100.0% $44,643
Taft University System Denver For-Profit 0 - -
Denver Seminary Littleton Private NP - - -
Iliff School of Theology Denver Private NP - - -
Colorado Chinese Medicine University Denver For-Profit - - -
Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture Louisville Private NP - - -
Rocky Vista University Parker For-Profit - - -
Galen Health Institutes-Aurora Aurora For-Profit - - $61,480
Casa Loma College - Aurora Aurora Private NP - - $49,854
Columbia College - Denver Aurora Private NP - - $45,378
Relay Graduate School of Education - Denver Denver Private NP - - -

Featured Colleges in Colorado

Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side

University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder, CO
31,939 students
Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, CO
28,086 students
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Fort Collins, CO
25,538 students
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, CO
15,002 students
Front Range Community College
Westminster, CO
11,476 students
Compare University of Colorado Boulder vs Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs →

Explore more Colorado data

Highest-earning colleges → Best value colleges → ROI calculator → Compare states →

Guides & Resources

Is College Worth It?

A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.

How to Compare Colleges

A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.

Financial Aid & Net Price

How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.

Understanding College Earnings Data

How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.

About This Data

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for Colorado applicants

  • Colorado has 84 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
  • Average reported admission rate across Colorado colleges is 80.2% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
  • State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.

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. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. 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.