More selective than 69% 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 $78,476. College Scorecard.
Higher than 88% of Colorado colleges we cover and 86% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 89% of Colorado colleges we cover and 86% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of Denver acceptance rate & admissions
Of 19,214 applicants, University of Denver admitted 13,679 and 1,458 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1410 on the SAT or 28–33 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of Denver 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 University of Denver costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Denver 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 | $20,097 | $83,001 | 2.7 years |
| $30–48k | $16,211 | $66,951 | 2.2 years |
| $48–75k | $22,940 | $94,742 | 3.1 years |
| $75–110k | $31,759 | $131,165 | 4.3 years |
| $110k+ | $47,222 | $195,027 | 6.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (69% 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 ($71,155) minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CO (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $30,545 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.
University of Denver majors, earnings & careers
University of Denver offers 79 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 15
- Humanities & Languages · 15
- Science & Math · 13
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 12
- Arts & Design · 5
- Technology & Computing · 5
- Engineering · 4
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 3
Highest-earning majors at University of Denver
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $121,993 | $22,000 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $104,087 | $21,500 |
| Finance | $99,135 | $19,650 |
| Accounting | $96,903 | $21,288 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $93,026 | $26,248 |
| Real Estate | $87,026 | — |
| Economics | $84,328 | — |
| International Business | $80,511 | $21,742 |
Quick list of all 79 majors
- Accounting$96,903
- Animal Sciences—
- Anthropology—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry$69,725
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology$54,513
- Biopsychology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business$74,033
- Business Administration—
- Business Economics—
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other—
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Communications$63,374
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science$121,993
- Computer Systems Analysis—
- Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications—
- Construction Management—
- Criminology$57,858
- Data Processing—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$84,328
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering—
- English$49,287
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$99,135
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$69,251
- Health Administration—
- History—
- Hospitality Management$75,118
- Human Resources—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business$80,511
- International Relations$59,895
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Legal Studies / Paralegal$63,727
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems—
- Management Science / Analytics$104,087
- Marketing$74,173
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$93,026
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music$48,461
- Nursing—
- Philosophy—
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other—
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics—
- Physiology—
- Political Science$66,288
- Psychology$56,161
- Public Policy Analysis—
- Real Estate$87,026
- Religious Studies—
- Science, Technology and Society—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$61,241
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Studio Art—
- 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 →Finance → Financial analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Marketing → Marketing specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.0% 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. 18 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 University of Denver 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Denver | 78% | $36,131 | 76% | $71,155 | This school |
| Colorado Christian University | — | $29,500 | 64% | $50,416 | |
| Regis University | 86% | $18,397 | 61% | $72,105 | |
| Naropa University | 100% | $29,179 | 37% | $28,720 | |
| Colorado College | 18% | $33,375 | 88% | $65,222 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of Denver would cost you $6,631 more per year than Colorado Christian University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of Denver, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$20,056).
- University of Denver gives aided families $17,603 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Colorado resident | University of Denver | CCU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $61,398 | $41,342 | +$20,056 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $17,049 | $12,362 | +$4,687 |
| Personal & travel | $3,147 | $1,614 | +$1,533 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$4,118 | −$2,076 | −$2,042 |
| Sticker price | $78,476 | $54,242 | +$24,234 |
| Average grants | −$42,345 | −$24,742 | −$17,603 |
| You pay | $36,131 | $29,500 | +$6,631 |
“+” means 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 University of Denver
What is the University of Denver acceptance rate?
University of Denver accepts 78% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 13,679 of 19,214 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1410 on the SAT or 28–33 on the ACT.
How much does University of Denver cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $78,476 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $36,131 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $20,097 and families earning $110k+ pay $47,222.
How much do University of Denver graduates earn?
Former University of Denver students earn a median $71,155 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of Denver graduation rate?
76% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 89% return for their second year.
How long does a University of Denver degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Denver costs about $94,742 after grants ($22,940 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $71,155 ten years after starting, $30,545 more than high school graduates in Colorado ($40,610), so the cost is repaid in 3.1 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: “University of Denver: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-denver (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).