Colorado Mesa University
Grand Junction, Colorado · Public · 82.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 33/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Colorado Mesa University scores 33 out of 100 on ROI - the Below Benchmark tier rating that mostly reflects weak completion. CMU's 40.6% completion rate is the dominant drag: more than half of entering students do not finish in six years, and that single fact pulls every other metric. Average earnings six years after entry are $34,200, climbing to a median $45,823 at year ten - modest. Median debt is a relatively contained $22,000, but the debt-to-earnings ratio still lands at 0.643. Payback period is 18.5 years. In-state tuition is $9,927 with a $15,103 net price (four-year total ~$60,412). Repayment rate of 71.3% is OK but not great. The earnings premium of 0.179 says graduates do out-earn high-school workers, but only modestly. CMU's strongest tracks (nursing, CIS, allied health) post genuinely good ROI numbers; the school average is dragged down by the long tail of liberal-arts programs combined with the low completion rate.
How Colorado Mesa 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 Score33/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period18.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Colorado Mesa University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $9,927/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $25,124/yr |
| Average net price | $15,103/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $60,412 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $45,823 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $22,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $233 |
| Estimated payback period | 18.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 40.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 8,143 |
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: $9,927/year ($25,124/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 $15,103/year, or roughly $60,412 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 $10,792/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,606/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $22,000, which works out to about $233 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($34,200) and comes to 0.64, 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 | $10,792 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,920 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $14,692 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $16,945 |
| $110,001+ | $20,606 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $10,792 net annually. Pell + state aid are doing real work here. Four-year exposure of about $43,000 against $34,200 average earnings is workable, especially in nursing or CIS. CMU is a credible affordability play at this income tier.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $14,692, and $75,001-$110,000 pays $16,945. Four-year cost runs $59,000-$68,000. For middle-income families this is a competitive in-state public price, but the earnings outcomes mean students should target one of the high-ROI majors. Drifting into a low-earning track at this price point produces tight repayment math.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $20,606 net per year - four-year cost approaches $82,000. CMU at high-income only makes sense for students specifically committed to a strong CMU program (nursing, CIS) or to its location.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Colorado Mesa University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $69,297 | C+ |
| Registered Nursing | $81,319 | B |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $49,348 | D |
| Biology | $45,737 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $58,708 | C |
| Psychology | $54,321 | D |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $96,708 | B |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $44,651 | C |
| Communication and Media Studies | $54,717 | D |
| Natural Resources Conservation | $50,384 | - |
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 CMU's flagship ROI program: 146 graduates per cohort, $69,631 first-year earnings rising to $81,319 by year four, $27,000 median debt, and a 0.388 debt-to-earnings ratio earning a B grade. For ROI-focused students this is the clearest reason to choose CMU.
Computer and Information Sciences
CIS posts $65,284 first-year earnings climbing to $96,708 by year four - a strong upward trajectory - with $25,000 median debt and a 0.383 debt-to-earnings ratio for a B grade. Forty-three graduates. The four-year earnings figure here is the highest at CMU and competitive with Front Range tech salaries despite the Western Slope location. Remote-work flexibility likely contributes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business admin is CMU's largest program at 201 graduates: $46,316 first-year earnings, $69,297 by year four, $21,000 median debt, and a 0.453 ratio for a C+ grade. The low debt load helps the ROI math. For students who can't break into nursing or CIS but want a credentialed track, this is a defensible pick.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology produces 123 graduates - a major program - with $31,253 first-year earnings rising to $49,348 by year four. $25,900 in median debt produces a 0.829 ratio and a D grade. The structural ROI problem with kinesiology is well-known: it's a feeder major for graduate-level professions (PT, OT, athletic training) and bachelor's-only outcomes are weak. Students entering this major need a clear graduate-school plan.
Biology
Biology produces 82 graduates with $32,565 first-year earnings rising to $45,737 by year four, $27,774 median debt, and a 0.853 debt-to-earnings ratio for a D grade. Same structural pattern as kinesiology: bachelor's biology is a pre-health feeder, and ROI numbers for those who don't continue to graduate or professional school are weak. Students should commit to the medical or graduate-school pathway from day one or pivot to applied biology tracks.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 65.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 71.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 54.6% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 63.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Colorado Mesa 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
| Acceptance rate | 82.0% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 450-570 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 480-590 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-24 |
| Enrollment | 8,143 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 28.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,747 |
Admission rate is 82.03% - broadly accessible. SAT mid-50% bands sit at 450-570 Math and 480-590 Reading; ACT composite spans 18-24. The 40.6% completion rate maps to that prep distribution.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Mesa University (this school) | 33 | $15,103 | $45,823 |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | 76 | $11,900 | $64,270 |
| Idaho State University | 38 | $12,193 | $45,608 |
| Morgan State University | 34 | $14,985 | $50,698 |
| Arkansas State University | 33 | $12,366 | $42,617 |
| Adams State University | 29 | $12,980 | $44,372 |
Who Thrives Here
CMU fits western Colorado students who want an in-state public option close to home, particularly those targeting nursing, CIS, allied health, or business. Pell rate is 28.09% - middle-class skew with meaningful working-class enrollment. Total enrollment of 8,143 supports a real campus experience. Students drawn to outdoor-recreation programs get cultural value here. One risk is students entering undecided, drifting into a humanities major, and not completing; that path tends to produce weaker ROI outcomes.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Colorado Mesa University scores 33/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,103 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $45,823 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 18.5 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 40.6% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 71.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $22,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64. 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.
Colorado Mesa University: Common Questions
Is Colorado Mesa University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Colorado Mesa University scores 33/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,103 a year after aid against $45,823 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 18.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Colorado Mesa 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 $15,103 a year, or roughly $60,412 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 Colorado Mesa University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $45,823 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,023 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 Colorado Mesa 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 18.5 years for Colorado Mesa University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Colorado Mesa University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $22,000, against average earnings of $34,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64. 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 Colorado Mesa University?
The six-year graduation rate is 40.6%. 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.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
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.