Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 9/100 · Poor Value
Colorado Technical University's Colorado Springs campus is a large for-profit institution with 28,086 enrolled students -- the bulk of which are online learners attached to this physical site. The overall ROI score of 9 places it deep in the Poor Value tier. The defining number is the 18.8% six-year completion rate: fewer than one in five students who start finish a credential, which structurally undermines every other outcome. Median earnings six years after entry are $34,100, rising to just $37,180 at the ten-year mark -- an unusually flat trajectory that suggests the credential does not unlock a meaningful career escalator. Net price of $16,745 actually exceeds the $12,750 in-state tuition figure, which can occur at for-profits when fees, books, and required materials inflate the all-in cost; four-year out-of-pocket runs roughly $66,980. The 94.9-year paybackPeriodYears is a dire signal -- in plain English, typical earnings barely cover the cost over a working lifetime. The 41.5% three-year repayment rate confirms that a substantial share of borrowers are not paying down principal. Pell rate at 61.6% means the federal-aid system is heavily underwriting outcomes that are not delivering value.
The data raises concerns about Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score9/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate18.8% - Well below the 60% national average. Non-completion is the fastest route to negative ROI.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers — the cost may not recoup within a working career.
Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $12,750/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $12,750/yr |
| Average net price | $16,745/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $66,980 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $37,180 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $29,832 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $316 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 18.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 28,086 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs is $12,750/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $16,745/year, or roughly $66,980 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $16,474/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay $22,394/year.
The median graduate leaves with $29,832 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $316 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $37,180 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.88 - within the recommended range but worth monitoring.
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 | $16,474 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $16,990 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,404 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $22,215 |
| $110,001+ | $22,394 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 pay $16,474 net -- only a few hundred dollars below the headline net price, indicating institutional aid is essentially flat across income bands. For Pell-eligible students this is essentially the full federal Pell maximum plus subsidized loans plus often unsubsidized loans. Combined with the 18.8% completion rate, the expected-value math is deeply unfavorable.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
$30,001-48,000 pays $16,990, $48,001-75,000 pays $18,404. The bracket curve is mild and net price barely flexes with income -- another for-profit signature. Middle-income families considering CTU should run, not walk, to compare against any community college or four-year public option in their region.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
$75,001-110,000 pays $22,215 and $110,001-plus pays $22,394 -- essentially flat at the top of the curve. Families paying near full freight at CTU are subsidizing for-profit operating margins for a credential with a 94.9-year payback. There is no plausible scenario in which this is the right financial choice for a high-income full-pay family.
Earnings by Major
Top 9 most popular majors at Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $65,877 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $46,981 | F |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $48,816 | F |
| Computer Science | $85,337 | C |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $78,606 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $95,519 | B+ |
| Accounting | $57,068 | F |
| Business Administration and Management | $41,964 | F |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration | $84,277 | C |
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 the genuine outlier in CTU's portfolio: $87,579 first-year earnings, $95,519 by year four, $30,319 in median debt for a 0.346 ratio and a B+ grade. With 195 graduates, this is the one program where the math indisputably works. Note: nursing earnings reflect the national RN labor market more than CTU's brand value, and the licensure exam (NCLEX) is the actual signal of competency. Verify CTU pass rates before committing.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business is by far the largest program (1,463 graduates -- the dominant volume at this campus). $53,147 first-year earnings rise to $65,877 by year four; $41,758 in debt yields a 0.786 ratio (D grade). The earnings curve is real, but the debt load is heavy and a similar credential at a public regional university would cost roughly half. The volume here is the value-extraction engine of the for-profit model.
Computer Science
Computer Science produces 214 graduates with $67,531 first-year earnings and $85,337 by year four -- among the strongest earnings curves in the portfolio. But $44,014 in debt drives a 0.652 ratio (C grade). For students who would have completed a state-school CS program, CTU is a worse deal; for working adults pivoting careers who genuinely need online flexibility, the math is more defensible than at most CTU programs.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates 446 students -- a high-volume program -- but posts $50,705 in median debt against $38,817 first-year earnings, producing a 1.306 ratio and an F grade. Even the four-year earnings of $46,981 leaves graduates underwater. Public CJ programs cost far less for the same labor market outcome; this is one of the weakest value propositions in the portfolio.
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Healthcare admin produces 228 graduates at $42,511 first-year and $48,816 four-year, with $48,425 in debt -- a 1.139 ratio and an F grade. The credential overlaps heavily with two-year associate programs that cost a fraction of CTU's price for similar entry-level health admin roles. Students considering this major should look at AAS pathways in Colorado community colleges first.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 32.4% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 41.5% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 32.0% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 39.5% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 28,086 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 61.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,570 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, which is typical for open-enrollment for-profit institutions. SAT and ACT scores are also unreported. Functionally, CTU operates an open-admission model -- the gating constraint is not selectivity but persistence and completion, which the 18.8% completion rate quantifies bluntly. Prepared students with strong study habits will fare better than the median, but the institution is not screening for them at the door.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
CTU's peer set is the for-profit and online cluster. Ashford University (now closed/absorbed by University of Arizona Global) and Strayer University Global Region are direct comps -- both online-heavy with similar completion-rate profiles. Post University in Connecticut and Full Sail University in Florida occupy adjacent positions, with Full Sail's audio/film vertical commanding higher tuition than CTU's portfolio. Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design rounds out the regional Colorado for-profit comp. Within this set, CTU's 18.8% completion is at the low end; the broader for-profit category averages slightly higher.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs (this school) | 9 | $16,745 | $37,180 |
| Baker College | 9 | $13,157 | $35,833 |
| Strayer University-Georgia | 9 | $18,318 | $40,092 |
| Strayer University-South Carolina | 9 | $17,979 | $40,092 |
| South University-Columbia | 8 | $27,693 | $34,421 |
| South University-Tampa | 8 | $20,434 | $34,421 |
Who Thrives Here
CTU enrolls 28,086 students, mostly working adults pursuing online credentials. The 61.6% Pell rate confirms a heavily lower-income, federal-aid-dependent population. The school fits students who need a flexible online format and have weighed the alternative of community-college-plus-state-university transfer paths -- which deliver dramatically better ROI for the same student profile. Active-duty military and veterans using GI Bill benefits sometimes use CTU because of TA-friendly billing, but the underlying outcomes data should give pause.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
The financial data raises serious concerns about Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs. With a net cost of $16,745 per year and median graduate earnings of only $37,180 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost.
Areas of concern include weak earnings relative to cost and a 18.8% graduation rate and high debt relative to what graduates earn and concerning loan repayment rates and a long payback period.
Median debt of $29,832 against $37,180 in earnings is concerning. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80 exceeds the commonly recommended threshold. Major choice is critical here.
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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.