Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Schools are assigned a value from 1-100, where 100 is best for students from households earning up to $30,000. This value is multiplied by the percentage of the school’s student body that received a Pell Grant, to calculate the economic mobility score. A higher score is better. Read the full explanation
The percentage of a school’s student body that has received a Pell Grant.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
The total debt accrued by the median student at the time of graduation.
The debt-to-earnings ratio is calculated by dividing student debt upon graduation by the annual salary. A debt to earnings ratio of 1 means that annual educational debt is the same as annual earnings.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
The best colleges in Colorado are known for their breathtaking landscapes and varied academics that foster innovation across a wide range of disciplines. The University of Colorado, Boulder, a “Public Ivy,” is among the most esteemed educational institutions in the state. Other renowned schools include the Colorado School of Mines, globally renowned for its excellence in mineral and mining engineering, and Colorado State University, which houses one of the nation's top veterinary programs. Notably, Naropa University in Colorado holds the distinction of being the first Buddhist university in the United States, while Fort Lewis College, with its distinctive heritage, offers Native American students the opportunity to pursue tuition-free education.
www.degreechoices.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
Propel your career from anywhere.
Take our quiz to find the online degree that’s best for you. Compare hundreds of schools and apply to your dream college today.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$27,114
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$90,060
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate82%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$14,470
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$57,987
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate58%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$24,961
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$63,625
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate69%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$18,679
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$54,983
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate72%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$20,967
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$60,740
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate70%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$33,830
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$66,004
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate77%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$15,570
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$47,112
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate57%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$24,703
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$57,013
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate84%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$15,648
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$47,797
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate50%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$16,690
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$45,755
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate55%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$25,051
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$45,728
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate55%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$6,450
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$40,062
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate37%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$14,313
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$47,439
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate43%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$13,695
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$44,449
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate45%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$16,118
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$41,516
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate40%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$13,388
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$37,685
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate39%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$16,255
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$38,083
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate47%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (48%) are not displayed.
Explore more schools without data
Average income based on education level
The following figures are the average salaries in Colorado for each level of education.
Average Income
The average income of people in this state with a high-school diploma, certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree, 10 years after enrollment, based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
HS Diploma$26,889
Certificate$37,833
Associate$39,192
Bachelor$47,192
Master$63,197
Cost of attending college in Colorado
In-state-tuition$14,896
The average in-state tuition, before financial aid, of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Out-of-state-tuition$23,250
The average tuition for out-of-state students, before financial aid of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Most popular degrees in Colorado
In Colorado the most popular degrees are Business Administration, Registered Nursing, and Psychology. To create this list, we complied and analyzed data from IPEDS and College Scorecard.
They both provide information on how many graduates each program has annually. The list below is both undergraduate- and graduate-level programs.
Popular degrees
1Business Administration 8,188graduates
2Registered Nursing 2,864graduates
3Psychology 1,763graduates
4Biology 1,495graduates
5Criminal Justice 1,308graduates
6Computer & Information Sciences 1,285graduates
7Computer Science 1,279graduates
8Communication & Media Studies 1,181graduates
9Accounting 1,175graduates
10Medical Administrative Services 1,090graduates
Fastest growing careers
Colorado job growth
21.1%
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
50.8%
Mathematicians
50%
Genetic Counselors
50%
Veterinarians
49.8%
Interpreters and Translators
47.3%
Physician Assistants
46.9%
Statisticians
45.4%
Massage Therapists
44.4%
Nurse Practitioners
43%
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
40.7%
Best bachelor’s degrees in Colorado
These majors are most likely to pay off economically after graduation.
Higher education is supposed to act as an economic elevator that lifts students from low-income households into the middle class. But not all colleges do this: unfortunately, many of the nation’s most “prestigious” schools accept very few students from low-income backgrounds.
To determine what colleges are doing the best job at lifting students out of poverty, we have devised a Social Mobility Index (SMI).
The best colleges for social mobility in Colorado are shown below.
www.degreechoices.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
Propel your career from anywhere.
Take our quiz to find the online degree that’s best for you. Compare hundreds of schools and apply to your dream college today.
Bachelor's degree holders or higher
42.3%
Filters
Colorado
21.1%
