Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado · Public · 77.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 33/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Fort Lewis College earns an overall ROI score of 33 out of 100, placing it in the Below Benchmark tier despite genuinely low public-college costs. The completion rate is the central problem - nearly two of three students who enroll do not finish, which means the published cost figures dramatically understate the lifetime risk for any given enrollee. Net price of $17,296 against $9,958 in-state tuition reflects substantial fees and room-and-board costs in mountain-town Durango. Fort Lewis serves a unique mission with strong Native American student enrollment and outdoor-education programs, but those institutional strengths do not translate into strong ROI outcomes for the median student.
How Fort Lewis College 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.
- 6-year graduation rate35.6% - 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 period18.4 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Fort Lewis College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $9,958/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $21,526/yr |
| Average net price | $17,296/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $69,184 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $46,349 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $18,389 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $195 |
| Estimated payback period | 18.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 35.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,079 |
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: $9,958/year ($21,526/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 $17,296/year, or roughly $69,184 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 $18,622/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $13,158/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $18,389, which works out to about $195 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,500) and comes to 0.60, 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 | $18,622 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $17,014 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,468 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $19,498 |
| $110,001+ | $13,158 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $18,622 net - counterintuitively higher than the next two income brackets. This bracket inversion suggests Pell-eligible families face high room-and-board costs in Durango that institutional aid does not fully offset. Over four years that is roughly $74,000 against average graduate earnings of $30,500. For low-income students, Fort Lewis only works at scale if you complete a high-ROI major or qualify for the Native American tuition waiver.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $17,014 (the cheapest published rate) and the $48,001-$75,000 bracket jumps back up to $19,468 - an inverted-bracket pattern worth flagging. The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $19,498. Middle-income families face roughly $68,000-$78,000 over four years; the public-school price is reasonable, but the 35.6% completion rate is the real cost driver to weigh.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $110,001-plus bracket pays $13,158 - significantly less than every lower bracket. This is a clear bracket inversion in the published Scorecard data and likely reflects merit aid concentrated among higher-income, higher-achieving applicants combined with reporting noise. High-income families paying $13,000 per year for a state school in Durango get a real value, but only if their student is in the high-ROI program tracks.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Fort Lewis College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management | $56,038 | C |
| Psychology | $46,256 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $41,675 | C |
| Natural Resources Conservation | $46,492 | D |
| Biology | $41,694 | D |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $22,754 | D |
| Engineering, General | $77,389 | C |
| English Language and Literature | $41,653 | C |
| Sociology | $43,544 | C |
| Anthropology | $45,833 | 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.
Engineering, General
Engineering graduates 26 students per year with $50,985 first-year earnings rising to $77,389 by year four, and median debt of $28,450 producing a 0.558 ratio and a C ROI grade. The four-year earnings figure is genuinely competitive with larger Colorado engineering programs, and graduates appear to pipeline into Western Slope and Front Range engineering employers. The debt load is higher than other Fort Lewis majors, but the earnings make it work.
Public Health
Public Health is the standout high-ROI program at Fort Lewis. With 18 graduates, $37,498 first-year earnings rising to $47,830 by year four, and unusually low median debt of $14,615, the program produces a 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B ROI grade. Graduates pipeline into county health departments, tribal health agencies, and community health organizations across the rural Southwest - jobs that pay modestly but reliably.
Business Administration and Management
Business Administration is the highest-volume major at 77 graduates per year. First-year earnings of $33,376 climb to $56,038 by year four, with median debt of $20,500 producing a 0.614 ratio and a C ROI grade.
Psychology
Psychology graduates 55 students annually with weak outcomes: $27,019 first-year earnings rising to $46,256 by year four, median debt of $20,264 producing a 0.75 ratio and a D ROI grade. Like most undergraduate psychology programs, ROI is poor without graduate school. Students drawn to Durango who pick this major as a default should pause and consider whether grad school is realistic.
Natural Resources Conservation
Natural Resources Conservation graduates 46 students - a notable volume reflecting Fort Lewis's outdoor positioning. The economics are difficult: $22,541 first-year earnings against median debt of $21,477 produce a 0.953 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. Federal land management agencies (USFS, BLM, NPS) hire from this pipeline at modest wages. Students who choose this path are typically choosing lifestyle over earnings, and the ROI math reflects that tradeoff honestly.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 65.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 68.1% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 62.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 64.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Fort Lewis College’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 | 77.3% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 505-605 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 505-605 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-26 |
| Enrollment | 3,079 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 34.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,374 |
Fort Lewis has a 77.3% admit rate with SAT mid-ranges of 505-605 math and 505-605 reading, and ACT composite range 18-26. The school is broadly accessible - most applicants are admitted - and the SAT/ACT distributions suggest a moderately-prepared student population. Selectivity is loose enough that the 35.6% completion rate makes sense: the school admits many students who do not finish.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Fort Lewis's payback period is 18.4 years.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Lewis College (this school) | 33 | $17,296 | $46,349 |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | 76 | $11,900 | $64,270 |
| Montana State University Billings | 34 | $16,524 | $44,296 |
| SUNY at Purchase College | 33 | $18,913 | $45,092 |
| University of South Carolina Aiken | 33 | $11,641 | $45,603 |
| Adams State University | 29 | $12,980 | $44,372 |
Who Thrives Here
Enrollment of 3,079 with a 34.9% Pell rate puts Fort Lewis in the small-regional-public category serving a meaningful share of low-income and rural Colorado students, plus a significant Native American population (Fort Lewis holds a unique tuition waiver for Native students). Strong fit: students attracted to Durango's outdoor lifestyle who major in engineering, accounting, or public health - the three highest-ROI programs. Weak fit: students drawn primarily by the location who major in outdoor education, fine arts, or natural resources, where earnings remain below $25,000 first year and ROI grades are D.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Fort Lewis College scores 33/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $17,296 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $46,349 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 18.4 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 35.6% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 68.1% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $18,389 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Fort Lewis College: Common Questions
Is Fort Lewis College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Fort Lewis College scores 33/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $17,296 a year after aid against $46,349 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 18.4 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Fort Lewis College 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 $17,296 a year, or roughly $69,184 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 Fort Lewis College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $46,349 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,549 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 Fort Lewis College?
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 18.4 years for Fort Lewis College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Fort Lewis College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $18,389, against average earnings of $30,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Fort Lewis College?
The six-year graduation rate is 35.6%. 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.
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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.