Best colleges in Colorado, ranked by ROI

Name: Colorado colleges — cost, earnings and ROI rankings
Creator: Degree Dividend

By the Degree Dividend editorial data teamEvery figure verified against its federal source — methodologyData updated June 2026

We rank all 50 Colorado institutions we profile by payback years — total net cost divided by earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The state's median net price is $16,468/yr (below the $16,902 national median), and its graduates earn a median $43,242 ten years out (below the $43,549 national median). Colorado School of Mines leads, clearing its cost in 2.3 years. (Scorecard, 2026.)

$16,468

Median net price / yr

Scorecard, 2026

$43,242

Median earnings, 10 yrs

Scorecard, 2026

6 yrs

Median payback

Our math, 2026

Colleges ranked

degreedividend.com

Colorado colleges by payback (best first)

#	College	Net price/yr	Earnings 10y	Payback
1	Colorado School of Mines	$28,690	$97,335	2.3 yrs
2	Colorado State University Global	$16,510	$76,813	2.3 yrs
3	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus	$11,900	$64,270	3 yrs
4	Regis University	$18,397	$72,105	3.1 yrs
5	University of Colorado Boulder	$25,346	$69,738	4.7 yrs
6	Colorado State University Pueblo	$10,051	$55,563	5.6 yrs
7	Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology	$30,065	$59,093	5.6 yrs
8	University of Denver	$36,131	$71,155	6.3 yrs
9	Colorado State University-Fort Collins	$21,279	$60,543	7 yrs
10	Colorado College	$33,375	$65,222	7.9 yrs
11	University of Colorado Colorado Springs	$15,788	$54,659	10 yrs
12	Metropolitan State University of Denver	$15,327	$52,093	16.4 yrs
13	University of Northern Colorado	$17,760	$52,231	18.4 yrs
14	Colorado Christian University	$29,500	$50,416	57.4 yrs
15	Arapahoe Community College	$11,571	$48,341	no payback
16	Red Rocks Community College	$9,044	$46,288	no payback
17	Community College of Aurora	$8,656	$44,592	no payback
18	Western Colorado University	$16,425	$46,833	no payback
19	Front Range Community College	$13,031	$45,910	no payback
20	Fort Lewis College	$17,296	$46,349	no payback
21	Colorado Mesa University	$15,103	$45,823	no payback
22	Colorado Mountain College	$7,813	$44,127	no payback
23	Adams State University	$12,980	$44,372	no payback
24	Colorado Northwestern Community College	$12,131	$43,526	no payback
25	Pikes Peak State College	$6,007	$40,796	no payback
26	Lincoln College of Technology-Denver	$32,423	$46,396	no payback
27	Aims Community College	$11,463	$41,887	no payback
28	Concorde Career College-Aurora	$16,666	$42,456	no payback
29	Community College of Denver	$9,450	$39,095	no payback
30	Pickens Technical College	$6,600	$39,210	no payback
31	Lamar Community College	$9,161	$38,719	no payback
32	Morgan Community College	$9,266	$39,429	no payback
33	Northeastern Junior College	$13,801	$39,893	no payback
34	Otero College	$11,103	$39,018	no payback
35	Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design	$32,363	$42,958	no payback
36	Intellitec College-Colorado Springs	$30,716	$42,169	no payback
37	Pueblo Community College	$12,045	$37,434	no payback
38	Trinidad State College	$10,772	$36,475	no payback
39	Pima Medical Institute-Denver	$22,034	$38,673	no payback
40	Emily Griffith Technical College	$7,197	$35,487	no payback
41	Aveda Institute-Denver	$20,167	$38,020	no payback
42	Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs	$16,745	$37,180	no payback
43	Pima Medical Institute-Colorado Springs	$26,848	$38,673	no payback
44	Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder	$13,367	$32,001	no payback
45	Intellitec College-Grand Junction	$19,216	$31,541	no payback
46	IBMC College	$34,590	$34,432	no payback
47	Arizona College of Nursing-Aurora	$37,153	$34,657	no payback
48	Paul Mitchell the School-Colorado Springs	$22,022	$27,683	no payback
49	Naropa University	$29,179	$28,720	no payback
50	International Salon and Spa Academy	$20,725	$22,332	no payback

College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · ranking and payback are our math. Payback uses institution-wide earnings; a specific major can rank very differently.

Colleges in Colorado: frequently asked questions

Which college has the best ROI in Colorado?

Colorado School of Mines. It charges $28,690/yr after aid and its graduates earn a median $97,335 ten years out, clearing the cost in about 2.3 years — the fastest payback of the 50 Colorado colleges we track.

How much does college cost in Colorado?

The median net price across Colorado colleges is $16,468/yr after grants and scholarships — below the $16,902 national median. That is the actual price the typical aided student pays, not the published sticker.

What do Colorado college graduates earn?

A median $43,242 ten years after entry (Scorecard), below the $43,549 national median. Earnings vary widely by school and major — see each college's profile for its own figure.

How many Colorado colleges pay for themselves?

14 of the 50 Colorado colleges we track clear their cost on institution-wide earnings above the high-school baseline. The rest need a high-ROI major to pay off — the school average alone does not.