More selective than 62% 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 $37,684. College Scorecard.
Higher than 85% of Colorado colleges we cover and 84% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 85% of Colorado colleges we cover and 85% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
CU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 56,069 applicants, University of Colorado Boulder admitted 46,692 and 7,546 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1430 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
CU 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 CU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Colorado Boulder took 4.3 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 | $14,231 | $60,624 | 2.1 years |
| $30–48k | $14,381 | $61,263 | 2.1 years |
| $48–75k | $18,828 | $80,207 | 2.8 years |
| $75–110k | $26,915 | $114,658 | 3.9 years |
| $110k+ | $34,818 | $148,325 | 5.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (58% 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 ($69,738) minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CO (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $29,128 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.
CU majors, earnings & careers
University of Colorado Boulder offers 68 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 16
- Engineering · 15
- Science & Math · 14
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Arts & Design · 5
- Communications & Media · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Health & Medicine · 1
Highest-earning majors at CU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $121,952 | $19,974 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $116,350 | $25,039 |
| Computer Engineering | $115,181 | $23,000 |
| Electrical Engineering | $100,631 | $20,414 |
| Chemical Engineering | $95,780 | $24,500 |
| Civil Engineering | $94,960 | $20,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $93,073 | $20,500 |
| Mathematics | $90,635 | $20,960 |
Quick list of all 68 majors
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$116,350
- Anthropology$55,217
- Applied Mathematics—
- Architectural Engineering$89,797
- Area Studies—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics$72,698
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology—
- Biochemical Engineering$89,262
- Biochemistry$68,488
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$86,441
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$68,579
- Chemical Engineering$95,780
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$94,960
- Classics—
- Communications$66,623
- Community Organization and Advocacy—
- Computer Engineering$115,181
- Computer Science$121,952
- Dance—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology$53,429
- Economics$73,319
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical and Computer Engineering—
- Electrical Engineering$100,631
- Engineering—
- Engineering Physics—
- Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- English$54,085
- Environmental Design$61,788
- Environmental Engineering$82,020
- Environmental Science / Conservation$63,337
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography$39,720
- Geography$57,677
- Geography and Environmental Studies—
- Geology / Earth Science$60,453
- German—
- History$49,401
- Information Science / Studies—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International / Global Studies$59,796
- Journalism$57,079
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Mathematics$90,635
- Mechanical Engineering$93,073
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$72,306
- Music$38,701
- Neuroscience$71,942
- Philosophy—
- Physics$75,764
- Physiology$71,444
- Political Science$69,651
- Psychology$56,867
- Public Relations and Advertising$74,779
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology$58,026
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$62,119
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$47,297
- Theatre—
— 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
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 Boulder
Overall prices in the Boulder, CO area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,033. Housing costs 57% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 20 inches of rain a year, 93 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); wildfire (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Boulder County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Boulder County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare CU 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Colorado Boulder | 78% | $25,346 | 74% | $69,738 | This school |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 89% | $21,279 | 67% | $60,543 | |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | 75% | $11,900 | 46% | $64,270 | |
| Colorado School of Mines | 61% | $28,690 | 82% | $97,335 | |
| University of Northern Colorado | 86% | $17,760 | 51% | $52,231 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of Colorado Boulder would cost you $4,067 more per year than Colorado State University-Fort Collins, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of Colorado Boulder, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$2,293).
- University of Colorado Boulder gives aided families $1,975 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Colorado resident | CU | Colorado State University-Fort Collins | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $15,666 | $13,373 | +$2,293 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $16,950 | $15,606 | +$1,344 |
| Personal & travel | $3,104 | $2,737 | +$367 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | +$764 | −$1,274 | +$2,038 |
| Sticker price | $37,684 | $31,642 | +$6,042 |
| Average grants | −$12,338 | −$10,363 | −$1,975 |
| You pay | $25,346 | $21,279 | +$4,067 |
“+” means CU 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 CU
What is the CU acceptance rate?
University of Colorado Boulder accepts 78% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 46,692 of 56,069 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1430 on the SAT or 29–33 on the ACT.
How much does University of Colorado Boulder cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $37,684 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $25,346 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $14,231 and families earning $110k+ pay $34,818.
How much do CU graduates earn?
Former University of Colorado Boulder students earn a median $69,738 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the CU graduation rate?
74% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 90% return for their second year.
How long does a CU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Colorado Boulder costs about $80,207 after grants ($18,828 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $69,738 ten years after starting, $29,128 more than high school graduates in Colorado ($40,610), so the cost is repaid in 2.8 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: “University of Colorado Boulder: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-colorado-boulder (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).