Adams State University
Alamosa, Colorado · Public
ROI Score: 29/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Adams State University, a small public in Alamosa, Colorado, posts an ROI score of 29 - Below Benchmark tier. ASU enrolls 1,250 students at a high-altitude campus in the San Luis Valley. In-state tuition is $9,824 with out-of-state of $21,944; net price is $12,980 producing a $51,920 four-year all-in. Six-year average earnings are just $28,800, recovering to a median $44,372 by year ten. The 20.5-year payback period reflects how thin early-career earnings are relative to investment. The most damaging input is completion rate (20) at just 39.4% - six in ten students don't finish. The 60.3% three-year repayment rate is also weak, and median debt of $19,500 produces a 0.677 debt-to-earnings ratio. The school's mission as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and access-oriented teacher's college shapes the data: it serves a high-need rural population with limited regional employer base. Strong programs include Nursing (B grade) and Sociology (a notable program where four-year earnings of $46,948 are competitive). Business Administration is the volume program with C-grade outcomes.
How Adams State University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score29/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate39.4% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period20.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Adams State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $9,824/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $21,944/yr |
| Average net price | $12,980/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $51,920 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $44,372 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $19,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $207 |
| Estimated payback period | 20.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 39.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,250 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $9,824/year ($21,944/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $12,980/year, or roughly $51,920 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $9,947/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,274/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $19,500, which works out to about $207 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($28,800) and comes to 0.68, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $9,947 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $10,392 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $11,921 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $15,787 |
| $110,001+ | $20,274 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-$30,000 face a net price of $9,947 - modestly above in-state tuition. With Pell stacking and Colorado state grants, this bracket sees meaningful aid. The four-year cost of about $40,000 against $28,800 six-year earnings is workable for completers; the institutional 39% completion rate is the dominant risk.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $10,392, $48,001-$75,000 pays $11,921.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $15,787, $110,001-plus pays $20,274. Higher-income families lose much of the aid leverage.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at Adams State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management | $51,111 | C |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $44,701 | D |
| Sociology | $46,948 | C |
| Biology | $56,467 | - |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $41,809 | C |
| Psychology | $37,943 | C |
| Registered Nursing | $78,402 | B |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is ASU's strongest program with 14 graduates earning a $70,926 first-year median, climbing to $78,402 by year four. Median debt of $31,000 produces a 0.437 debt-to-earnings ratio and B grade. The Colorado nursing market is healthy and absorbs ASU graduates into rural hospital systems with starting wages well above regional medians. This is the institution's clearest value-delivery program.
Business Administration and Management
Business Administration is the largest program with 75 graduates. First-year earnings of $40,181 climb to $51,111 by year four. Median debt of $23,624 produces a 0.588 ratio and C grade. Graduates entering the limited regional employer base in the San Luis Valley face geographic earnings constraints regardless of program quality.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology graduates 32 students with $30,045 first-year earnings, $44,701 four-year out. Median debt of $21,451 produces a 0.714 ratio and D grade. Bachelor's-only kinesiology outcomes are constrained without graduate-level credentials in PT/OT/AT; ASU's kinesiology serves as feeder for those graduate programs. Students should plan accordingly and consider cumulative borrowing.
Sociology
Sociology graduates 27 students with first-year earnings of $46,948 - unusually strong for the discipline, suggesting graduates land in human services or social work roles with solid wages. Median debt of $29,441 produces a 0.627 ratio and C grade. The four-year out earnings figure is not reported in current data.
Biology
Biology graduates 22 students with four-year out earnings of $56,467. Median debt and ratio are not reported. As at most universities, biology serves as a pre-health pipeline; outcomes for students who continue to medical, PA, or pharmacy school are the relevant value driver, not the bachelor's-only data.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 58.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 60.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 48.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 50.4% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Adams State University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 1,250 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 37.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,123 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are also absent. The combination of likely open admission and a 39% completion rate signals significant academic readiness gaps; ASU admits many students who arrive without strong preparation, and the support structures are not closing that gap for the majority.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams State University (this school) | 29 | $12,980 | $44,372 |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | 76 | $11,900 | $64,270 |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs | 59 | $15,788 | $54,659 |
| Sul Ross State University | 31 | $13,286 | $41,871 |
| University of Maine at Farmington | 29 | $16,857 | $44,433 |
| The University of Montana-Western | 27 | $16,558 | $43,229 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Adams State University side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
ASU enrolls 1,250 students with a Pell Grant rate of 37.8%. The fit case here is a Colorado resident or out-of-state student attracted to the rural high-altitude setting, accessing a Hispanic-Serving Institution with strong wraparound support, and either pursuing nursing or planning to combine an ASU degree with graduate study. Education and human services are mission-aligned strengths. The 39% completion rate and rural earnings ceiling make ASU a difficult value play for students focused on financial outcomes alone.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Adams State University scores 29/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $12,980 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $44,372 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 20.5 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 39.4% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 60.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $19,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $28,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Adams State University: Common Questions
Is Adams State University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Adams State University scores 29/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $12,980 a year after aid against $44,372 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 20.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Adams State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $12,980 a year, or roughly $51,920 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Adams State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $44,372 ten years after enrolling, roughly $2,572 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Adams State University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 20.5 years for Adams State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Adams State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $19,500, against average earnings of $28,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Adams State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 39.4%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.