Best ROI Colleges in Colorado
Looking for value in Colorado? Start here. We ranked these colleges by ROI - earnings premium (30%), payback period (25%), debt-to-earnings (20%), completion rate (15%), and loan repayment (10%) - all from U.S. Department of Education data, with no prestige guesswork in the mix.
10 schools ranked
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
| # | School | ROI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO | 94 |
| 2 | Regis University Denver, CO | 81 |
| 3 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO | 80 |
| 4 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO | 76 |
| 5 | University of Denver Denver, CO | 71 |
| 6 | Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO | 70 |
| 7 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO | 69 |
| 8 | Colorado State University Pueblo Pueblo, CO | 64 |
| 9 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO | 59 |
| 10 | University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO | 50 |
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How We Rank
Rankings are based on our ROI score (0-100), which weights five quantifiable factors: Earnings Premium (30%), Payback Period (25%), Debt-to-Earnings (20%), Completion Rate (15%), and Loan Repayment (10%). All data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. No subjective criteria are used.
Full methodology →Common Questions
What is the best best-ROI college in Colorado?
Colorado School of Mines tops this list at 94/100 on our ROI scale, the highest among the 10 schools ranked here. Rankings weigh net price against median graduate earnings from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data - no prestige guesswork.
Which school on this list has the highest graduate earnings?
Colorado School of Mines reports the highest median earnings here, about $97,335 ten years after enrollment. In our view higher earnings alone don't make the best value, since what you pay matters just as much - which is why the ranking weighs cost too.
What is the most affordable school on this list?
Colorado State University Pueblo carries the lowest net price among the ranked schools, about $10,051 a year after grants and scholarships. Net price is what students actually pay, not the published sticker price.
How are these schools ranked?
We score every school 0 to 100 on five quantifiable factors: earnings premium (30%), payback period (25%), debt-to-earnings (20%), completion rate (15%), and loan repayment (10%). All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, with no subjective reputation scoring. Of the 10 schools here, 8 earn an ROI score of 60 or higher.