More selective than 88% 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 $40,560. College Scorecard.
Higher than 92% of Colorado colleges we cover and 90% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 100% of Colorado colleges we cover and 98% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Colorado School of Mines acceptance rate & admissions
Of 9,821 applicants, Colorado School of Mines admitted 5,864 and 1,450 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1320–1480 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 School of Mines tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Colorado residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, 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 School of Mines costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Colorado School of Mines took 4.2 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 | $16,849 | $70,597 | 1.2 years |
| $30–48k | $18,162 | $76,099 | 1.3 years |
| $48–75k | $22,192 | $92,984 | 1.6 years |
| $75–110k | $28,183 | $118,087 | 2.1 years |
| $110k+ | $35,112 | $147,119 | 2.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (66% 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 ($97,335) minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CO (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $56,725 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 School of Mines majors, earnings & careers
Colorado School of Mines offers 20 bachelor's majors across 4 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Engineering · 14
- Science & Math · 4
- Business & Finance · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Colorado School of Mines
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $127,217 | $23,000 |
| Petroleum Engineering | $116,691 | $27,000 |
| Mining and Mineral Engineering | $109,695 | $25,000 |
| Electrical Engineering | $106,012 | $22,000 |
| Applied Mathematics | $98,190 | $21,500 |
| Engineering Physics | $97,497 | $21,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $97,087 | $25,000 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $95,142 | $25,000 |
Quick list of all 20 majors
- Applied Mathematics$98,190
- Biochemistry—
- Biological / Biosystems Engineering—
- Biomedical Engineering$95,142
- Chemical Engineering$94,598
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$94,228
- Computer Science$127,217
- Economics—
- Electrical Engineering$106,012
- Engineering—
- Engineering Physics$97,497
- Engineering, Other—
- Environmental Engineering$87,278
- Geological / Geophysical Engineering$88,484
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$97,087
- Metallurgical Engineering$94,902
- Mining and Mineral Engineering$109,695
- Petroleum Engineering$116,691
— 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 →Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Computer Science → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Denver
Overall prices in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,169. Housing costs 47% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 21 inches of rain a year, 141 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, Jefferson County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Jefferson County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Colorado School of Mines with similar schools
Similar public 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 School of Mines | 61% | $28,690 | 82% | $97,335 | This school |
| Arapahoe Community College | — | $11,571 | 29% | $48,341 | |
| Red Rocks Community College | — | $9,044 | 32% | $46,288 | |
| Trinidad State College | — | $10,772 | 55% | $36,475 | |
| Community College of Denver | — | $9,450 | 20% | $39,095 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Colorado School of Mines would cost you $17,119 more per year than Arapahoe Community College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Colorado School of Mines.
- Colorado School of Mines gives aided families $5,109 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Colorado resident | Colorado School of Mines | Arapahoe Community College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticker price | $40,560 | $18,332 | +$22,228 |
| Average grants | −$11,870 | −$6,761 | −$5,109 |
| You pay | $28,690 | $11,571 | +$17,119 |
“+” means Colorado School of Mines 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 School of Mines
What is the Colorado School of Mines acceptance rate?
Colorado School of Mines accepts 61% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,864 of 9,821 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1320–1480 on the SAT or 29–33 on the ACT.
How much does Colorado School of Mines cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $40,560 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $28,690 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $16,849 and families earning $110k+ pay $35,112.
How much do Colorado School of Mines graduates earn?
Former Colorado School of Mines students earn a median $97,335 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Colorado School of Mines graduation rate?
82% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 93% return for their second year.
How long does a Colorado School of Mines degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Colorado School of Mines costs about $92,984 after grants ($22,192 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $97,335 ten years after starting, $56,725 more than high school graduates in Colorado ($40,610), so the cost is repaid in 1.6 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 School of Mines: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/colorado-school-of-mines (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).