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Why This Matters

  • 36 FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES IN COLORADO

    According to College Navigator, the four-year colleges in Colorado include 23 public and 13 private non-profit options.

  • $12,103 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES

    For the 2022-23 school year, the average in-state tuition for public four-year colleges in Colorado is $12,103, according to College Board.

  • $15,330 AVERAGE FINANCIAL AID

    In the U.S., full-time undergraduate students attending college in 2021-22 received an average of $15,330 per year in financial aid.

Our Research

This list features some of the best brick-and-mortar colleges in Colorado. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality. We included liberal arts colleges and research universities as well as small, midsize, and large institutions. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications, such as U.S. News & World Report, to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.

The colleges on our list are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) — this organization examines the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of postsecondary education programs in the central United States.

We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission standards, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the resources and services provided for on-campus students. Then, we used this information to calculate the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.

Online College Programs That Might Interest You

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

The Top 50 Colleges in Colorado

Best Colleges In Colorado
01

Colorado School of Mines
01

Colorado College
01

University of Colorado Boulder
01

University of Denver
01

Colorado State University
01

University of Colorado Denver
01

Regis University
01

University of Northern Colorado
01

Metropolitan State University of Denver
01

University of Colorado Colorado Springs
01

Colorado Christian University
01

Colorado Mesa University
01

Western State Colorado University
01

Fort Lewis College
01

Adams State University
01

Colorado State University Pueblo
01

United States Air Force Academy

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What You Should Know About Graduating From College in Colorado

It’s important to think about the career opportunities available in the state you wish to attend college. By researching the biggest industries in Colorado, you can have a better understanding of your job outlook after graduation. As of May 2022, the five Colorado industries with the highest number of employees are office and administrative support occupations, sales, food preparation and serving, business and financial operations, and transportation and material moving.

The five fastest-growing careers for graduates with a bachelor’s degree in Colorado are agents and talent managers, film and video editors, interpreters and translators, operations research analysts, and animal scientists.

You should also become familiar with the top employers in Colorado so that you’ll have a good starting point for your job search. These include University of Colorado-Boulder, Lockheed Martin, Western Union, Denver Health, and Lumen Technologies.

What’s Next?

When researching colleges in Colorado, it’s helpful to understand what financial aid options might be available to you. Below is a list of federal and state resources with more information regarding scholarships, grants, and other financial aid opportunities available to undergraduate students in Colorado.

  • Colorado Department of Higher Education. The Colorado Department of Higher Education is a comprehensive resource for state financial aid and loan programs, including the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CAFSA).
  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Provided by the U.S. Department of Education, FAFSA is the main form students use to apply for financial aid for college. To determine if you’re eligible for aid, submit a completed FAFSA form online.
  • CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder. This tool will show you available scholarships, grants, and loans and can be filtered by state and degree type. It includes information such as dollar amounts, how to apply, qualifications, deadlines, and contact details.

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