Colorado State University-Fort Collins vs University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

On the numbers, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus comes out ahead: 76/100 to 69/100, a 7-point edge over Colorado State University-Fort Collins. That gap comes from real differences in what each one costs, what its graduates earn, and the debt they leave with.

Start with what you'd actually pay. After aid, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus runs $11,900 a year against $21,279 at Colorado State University-Fort Collins - $9,379 more a year, or about $37,516 across four years.

Then look at what that buys. Ten years after enrollment, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus graduates earn a median $64,270 against $60,543 at Colorado State University-Fort Collins. The cost earns itself back in 8.8 years at Colorado State University-Fort Collins and 6.4 years at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus.

Finally, the debt you'd carry out. Graduates leave Colorado State University-Fort Collins owing a median $20,000 versus $20,500 at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus. Their debt-to-earnings ratios are 0.50 and 0.42 - and the rule of thumb is to keep that under 1.0, meaning debt no bigger than a first year's pay.