More selective than 94% of Colorado colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $86,921. College Scorecard.
Higher than 100% of Colorado colleges we cover and 95% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 81% of Colorado colleges we cover and 80% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Colorado College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 7,532 applicants, Colorado College admitted 1,509 and 517 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1230–1460 on the SAT or 29–33 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Colorado College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Colorado College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Colorado College took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Colorado. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,217 | $37,882 | 1.5 years |
| $30–48k | $15,477 | $63,610 | 2.6 years |
| $48–75k | $12,568 | $51,654 | 2.1 years |
| $75–110k | $24,129 | $99,170 | 4.0 years |
| $110k+ | $44,141 | $181,420 | 7.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (77% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($65,222) minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CO (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $24,612 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Colorado College majors, earnings & careers
Colorado College offers 40 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 14
- Science & Math · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Arts & Design · 5
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Business & Finance · 1
Highest-earning majors at Colorado College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | $122,998 | $18,250 |
| Biology | $62,970 | $20,513 |
| Sociology | $56,649 | — |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $37,393 | $15,000 |
Quick list of all 40 majors
- Anthropology—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$62,970
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences—
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Dance—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$122,998
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$37,393
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- History—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Mathematics—
- Mathematics and Computer Science—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Museology / Museum Studies—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Psychology (Research)—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Sociology$56,649
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Colorado Springs
Overall prices in the Colorado Springs, CO area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,621. Housing costs 16% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 19 inches of rain a year, 55 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); wildfire (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, El Paso County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
El Paso County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Colorado College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Colorado by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado College | 18% | $33,375 | 88% | $65,222 | This school |
| Colorado Christian University | — | $29,500 | 64% | $50,416 | |
| Regis University | 86% | $18,397 | 61% | $72,105 | |
| University of Denver | 78% | $36,131 | 76% | $71,155 | |
| Naropa University | 100% | $29,179 | 37% | $28,720 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Colorado College would cost you $3,875 more per year than Colorado Christian University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Colorado College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$29,392).
- Colorado College gives aided families $28,804 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Colorado resident | Colorado College | CCU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $70,734 | $41,342 | +$29,392 |
| Books & supplies | $1,240 | $1,000 | +$240 |
| Housing & meals | $15,228 | $12,362 | +$2,866 |
| Personal & travel | $2,728 | $1,614 | +$1,114 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,009 | −$2,076 | −$933 |
| Sticker price | $86,921 | $54,242 | +$32,679 |
| Average grants | −$53,546 | −$24,742 | −$28,804 |
| You pay | $33,375 | $29,500 | +$3,875 |
“+” means Colorado College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Colorado College
What is the Colorado College acceptance rate?
Colorado College accepts 18% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,509 of 7,532 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1230–1460 on the SAT or 29–33 on the ACT.
How much does Colorado College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $86,921 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $33,375 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,217 and families earning $110k+ pay $44,141.
How much do Colorado College graduates earn?
Former Colorado College students earn a median $65,222 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Colorado College graduation rate?
88% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 94% return for their second year.
How long does a Colorado College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Colorado College costs about $51,654 after grants ($12,568 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $65,222 ten years after starting, $24,612 more than high school graduates in Colorado ($40,610), so the cost is repaid in 2.1 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Colorado College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/colorado-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).