# Western Colorado University

Public college in Gunnison, CO. IPEDS ID 128391.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-colorado-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/western-colorado-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 100% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $16,425 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 51%; beats 62% of CO colleges and 43% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $46,833; beats 48% of CO colleges and 31% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $12,000

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $11,490 |
| 30-48k | $10,868 |
| 48-75k | $13,908 |
| 75-110k | $16,928 |
| 110k+ | $21,396 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.46 years on average (32% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $46,833 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CO (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $11,490 | $51,245 | 8.2 years |
| 30-48k | $10,868 | $48,471 | 7.8 years |
| 48-75k | $13,908 | $62,030 | 10.0 years |
| 75-110k | $16,928 | $75,499 | 12.1 years |
| 110k+ | $21,396 | $95,426 | 15.3 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $25,736 in-state; about $38,852 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $11,318 in-state, $24,434 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $10,442; books: $1,350

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 608–683; SAT math: 555–670; ACT: 22–26 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 3,283 applicants, 3,200 admitted, 423 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 100%, ACT 22–26 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 98%, ACT 21–28 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (26 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | $47,204 | $63,922 | not reported |
| Business Administration | $41,886 | $61,876 | $24,000 |
| Sociology | $43,178 | $57,359 | not reported |
| Biology | $29,881 | $50,954 | $23,973 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $26,123 | $49,170 | $21,612 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | $25,903 | $48,109 | $19,507 |
| Communications | not reported | $47,426 | $23,500 |
| Psychology | $32,352 | $47,401 | $26,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $21,038 | $40,636 | $25,050 |
| Studio Art | not reported | $39,865 | not reported |
| English | not reported | $39,414 | not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Programming | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | $53,403 | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | $30,272 | not reported | $24,000 |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business / Corporate Communications | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage not reported (metro), $104,750 (CO), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Biology → Biological technician: median wage not reported (metro), $59,400 (CO), $57,510 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).