Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Lakewood, Colorado · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 13/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD) in Lakewood, Colorado scores ROI 13 (Below Benchmark). The school's financial profile includes a $32,363 average net price, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.016 (graduates owe more than their annual income), a 31.8% completion rate, and a 33.9-year payback period. Design and Applied Arts is the largest program (176 graduates, F grade, D2E 1.56); Computer Software and Media Applications (34 graduates, F grade, D2E 1.20) and Graphic Communications (46 graduates, F grade, D2E 1.42) are the other main programs - all with F-grade ROI ratios and median debt exceeding $30,000. The school does not report admissions selectivity data.
How Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design 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 Score13/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.02 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate31.8% - 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 period33.9 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $20,190/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $20,190/yr |
| Average net price | $32,363/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $129,452 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,958 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $31,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $329 |
| Estimated payback period | 33.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 31.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,050 |
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: $20,190/year, 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 $32,363/year, or roughly $129,452 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 $29,847/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $36,201/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $31,000, which works out to about $329 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 1.02, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least 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 | $29,847 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $29,351 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $32,387 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $36,040 |
| $110,001+ | $36,201 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $29,847 per year. Over four years that is roughly $119,388. Against average 6-year earnings of $30,500 and a 31.8% completion rate, the financial risk for low-income students is severe.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 30,001-48,000 bracket pays $29,351. The 48,001-75,000 bracket rises to $32,387, and the 75,001-110,000 bracket climbs to $36,040. Cost stays in a narrow range across the middle income spectrum - RMCAD's pricing is nearly income-insensitive, meaning middle-income families receive minimal aid advantage over low-income families.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $36,201 per year. Over four years that is roughly $144,804. Against median 10-year earnings of $42,958, this investment does not recoup within a typical career horizon for any program the school offers.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $41,617 | F |
| Graphic Communications | $37,239 | F |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | $48,472 | F |
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.
Design and Applied Arts
Design and Applied Arts is RMCAD's largest program by graduate count at 176 students. Median 1-year earnings of $29,829 and 4-year earnings of $41,617 - against $46,544 median debt (well above the federal undergraduate limit) - produce a 1.560 debt-to-earnings ratio (ROI grade F). Design graduates are borrowing nearly $50,000 to earn $30,000 at graduation. Four years later they earn $41,617 - still below the loan amount. Denver's creative economy employs designers, but the demand does not generate salary levels that justify for-profit art school pricing.
Computer Software and Media Applications
Computer Software and Media Applications produces 34 graduates per year with median 1-year earnings of $37,268 and 4-year earnings of $48,472. Against $44,806 median debt and a 1.202 debt-to-earnings ratio (ROI grade F), this is still negative ROI territory. This program is the closest RMCAD has to a technical pathway - game design, animation software - but the debt load and earnings do not align.
Graphic Communications
Graphic Communications produces 46 graduates per year with median 1-year earnings of $23,247 and 4-year earnings of $37,239. Against $32,982 median debt and a 1.419 debt-to-earnings ratio (ROI grade F), graduates owe 41% more than their annual income at graduation - a ratio that typically signals loan distress within the first few years of repayment. Graphic design salaries in Denver's creative economy cannot service $33,000 in debt at $23,247 in first-year earnings.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 59.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 64.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 57.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 63.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design’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 | 2,050 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 48.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,588 |
This school does not report admissions selectivity data. Students should scrutinize portfolio and accreditation details carefully before committing.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
RMCAD's combination of high net price ($32,363), earnings of $30,500, debt of $31,000, and 31.8% completion rate weighs heavily on its ROI score.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (this school) | 13 | $32,363 | $42,958 |
| Berkeley College-Woodland Park | 16 | $27,100 | $40,251 |
| Strayer University-Virginia | 11 | $19,578 | $40,092 |
| Strayer University-Tennessee | 11 | $11,645 | $40,092 |
| Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs | 9 | $16,745 | $37,180 |
| Strayer University-South Carolina | 9 | $17,979 | $40,092 |
Who Thrives Here
No SAT/ACT data is reported and no admission rate is published, signaling open or near-open enrollment. With 48.4% Pell recipients, nearly half the student body is low-income - a population paying over $29,000 per year at a school with a 31.8% completion rate and F-grade ROI across all programs. This school is not a defensible financial choice for any income level based on available data.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design scores 13/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $32,363 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $42,958 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 33.9 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 31.8% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.02 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 64.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $31,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.02. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design: Common Questions
Is Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design scores 13/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $32,363 a year after aid against $42,958 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 33.9 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design 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 $32,363 a year, or roughly $129,452 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 Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $42,958 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,158 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 Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design?
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 33.9 years for Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $31,000, against average earnings of $30,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.02. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design?
The six-year graduation rate is 31.8%. 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.