More selective than 12% 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 $24,622. College Scorecard.
Higher than 19% of Colorado colleges we cover and 14% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 59% of Colorado colleges we cover and 46% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Metropolitan State University of Denver acceptance rate & admissions
Of 12,403 applicants, Metropolitan State University of Denver admitted 12,296 and 2,132 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 880–1130 on the SAT or 17–26 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Metropolitan State University of Denver 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 Metropolitan State University of Denver costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Metropolitan State University of Denver took 4.8 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 | $12,481 | $59,410 | 5.2 years |
| $30–48k | $12,436 | $59,195 | 5.2 years |
| $48–75k | $14,927 | $71,053 | 6.2 years |
| $75–110k | $19,539 | $93,006 | 8.1 years |
| $110k+ | $23,822 | $113,393 | 9.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.8 years, the average time graduates took (13% 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 ($52,093) minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CO (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $11,483 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.
Metropolitan State University of Denver majors, earnings & careers
Metropolitan State University of Denver offers 76 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 13
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 12
- Health & Medicine · 10
- Science & Math · 10
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Engineering · 7
- Arts & Design · 5
- Communications & Media · 5
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at Metropolitan State University of Denver
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $111,187 | $22,736 |
| Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians | $100,358 | $26,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians | $98,267 | $32,000 |
| Management Information Systems | $91,399 | $26,482 |
| Nursing | $86,259 | $30,119 |
| Civil Engineering Technologies / Technicians | $86,131 | $31,998 |
| Economics | $80,907 | $23,750 |
| Finance | $77,596 | $29,799 |
Quick list of all 76 majors
- Accounting$73,698
- Air Transportation$72,846
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$52,735
- Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems$45,766
- Anthropology$53,125
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology—
- Behavioral Sciences—
- Biochemistry$57,065
- Biology$57,920
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$65,387
- Chemistry$76,759
- Civil Engineering Technologies / Technicians$86,131
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other—
- Communications Technologies / Technicians—
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science$111,187
- Construction Management—
- Criminal Justice$56,564
- Dance—
- Economics$80,907
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,025
- Education (Subject Teaching)$47,666
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians$100,358
- English$51,955
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy—
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$63,175
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$52,747
- Finance$77,596
- Fire Protection—
- General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations—
- Geography$66,429
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$61,654
- Health Administration$62,250
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other—
- History$48,518
- Hospitality Management$57,312
- Human Resources—
- Human Services$54,896
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians—
- Information Technology—
- Journalism$47,460
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$57,096
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics$50,926
- Management Information Systems$91,399
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing$64,069
- Mathematics$65,179
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians$98,267
- Medical Illustration and Informatics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$59,502
- Music$38,957
- Nursing$86,259
- Nutrition Science$60,395
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$57,810
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$60,639
- Psychology$50,326
- Psychology (Research)$48,655
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising$50,478
- Social Work$55,915
- Sociology$52,414
- Special Education$51,786
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$46,535
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$42,490
- Systems Engineering—
- Theatre$42,870
- Writing$58,918
— 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 →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% 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. 16 inches of rain a year, 41 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Denver County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Denver County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Metropolitan State University of Denver 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan State University of Denver | 99% | $15,327 | 32% | $52,093 | This school |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 97% | $15,788 | 47% | $54,659 | |
| Colorado State University Pueblo | 95% | $10,051 | 40% | $55,563 | |
| Colorado Mesa University | 82% | $15,103 | 41% | $45,823 | |
| Western Colorado University | 100% | $16,425 | 51% | $46,833 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Metropolitan State University of Denver would cost you $461 less per year than University of Colorado Colorado Springs, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
- Metropolitan State University of Denver gives aided families $488 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Colorado resident | Metropolitan State University of Denver | UCCS | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticker price | $24,622 | $24,595 | +$27 |
| Average grants | −$9,295 | −$8,807 | −$488 |
| You pay | $15,327 | $15,788 | −$461 |
“+” means Metropolitan State University of Denver 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 Metropolitan State University of Denver
What is the Metropolitan State University of Denver acceptance rate?
Metropolitan State University of Denver accepts 99% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 12,296 of 12,403 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 880–1130 on the SAT or 17–26 on the ACT.
How much does Metropolitan State University of Denver cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $24,622 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $15,327 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,481 and families earning $110k+ pay $23,822.
How much do Metropolitan State University of Denver graduates earn?
Former Metropolitan State University of Denver students earn a median $52,093 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Metropolitan State University of Denver graduation rate?
32% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 63% return for their second year.
How long does a Metropolitan State University of Denver degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Metropolitan State University of Denver costs about $71,053 after grants ($14,927 a year for 4.8 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $52,093 ten years after starting, $11,483 more than high school graduates in Colorado ($40,610), so the cost is repaid in 6.2 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: “Metropolitan State University of Denver: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/metropolitan-state-university-of-denver (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).