State Rankings

Best Colleges in Colorado

Top colleges in Colorado ranked by national standing and graduate outcomes, updated 2026.

Colleges listed: 43

Avg grad earnings: $49,262

Public / Private: 33 / 10

Top Colleges in Colorado

Nationally ranked schools appear first. Remaining schools are ordered by median graduate earnings.

State #	School	Type	Grad Earnings	Admit Rate	SAT Avg	Grad Rate	Out-of-State
1	Colorado School of Mines Golden#51 national	Public	$97,335	59.7%	1,403	79.4%	$44,376
2	University of Colorado Boulder Boulder#126 national	Public	$69,738	83.3%	1,353	75.0%	$41,943
3	United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy#135 national	Public	N/A	13.9%	1,362	88.1%	N/A
4	Colorado College Colorado Springs#142 national	Private	$65,222	20.0%	1,445	86.0%	$67,932
5	University of Denver Denver#146 national	Private	$71,155	71.2%	1,344	78.0%	$59,340
6	Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins#252 national	Public	$60,543	89.6%	N/A	66.9%	$33,751
7	Regis University Denver#487 national	Private	$72,105	87.3%	N/A	61.1%	$43,980
8	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver#705 national	Public	$64,270	77.8%	1,119	47.4%	$28,209
9	Colorado State University Global Denver#778 national	Public	$76,813	92.9%	N/A	N/A	$8,400
10	Community College of Aurora Aurora#995 national	Public	$44,592	N/A	N/A	N/A	$15,680
11	Colorado Christian University Lakewood#1082 national	Private	$50,416	N/A	N/A	55.3%	$39,266
12	Red Rocks Community College Lakewood#1089 national	Public	$46,288	N/A	N/A	37.4%	$16,947
13	University of Northern Colorado Greeley#1152 national	Public	$52,231	86.4%	1,077	51.3%	$26,204
14	University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs#1556 national	Public	$54,659	96.6%	1,140	45.3%	$20,492
15	Arapahoe Community College Littleton#1685 national	Public	$48,341	N/A	N/A	26.8%	$16,542
16	Colorado State University Pueblo Pueblo#1811 national	Public	$55,563	99.8%	1,005	38.0%	$17,242
17	Morgan Community College Fort Morgan#1821 national	Public	$39,429	N/A	N/A	46.1%	$16,360
18	Otero College La Junta#1856 national	Public	$39,018	N/A	N/A	N/A	$7,048
19	Northeastern Junior College Sterling#1874 national	Public	$39,893	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,045
20	Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction#1911 national	Public	$45,823	81.4%	1,070	41.5%	$24,312
21	Front Range Community College Westminster#1914 national	Public	$45,910	N/A	N/A	30.1%	$16,974
22	Western Colorado University Gunnison#1920 national	Public	$46,833	97.5%	1,130	50.7%	$23,683
23	Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver#2093 national	Public	$52,093	99.1%	1,014	29.9%	$29,503
24	Colorado Mountain College Glenwood Springs#2170 national	Public	$44,127	N/A	N/A	25.9%	$12,540
25	Trinidad State College Trinidad#2186 national	Public	$36,475	N/A	N/A	55.7%	$7,100
26	Aims Community College Greeley#2219 national	Public	$41,887	N/A	N/A	35.1%	$11,306
27	Fort Lewis College Durango#2268 national	Public	$46,349	93.2%	1,084	43.1%	$20,798
28	Pikes Peak State College Colorado Springs#2300 national	Public	$40,796	N/A	N/A	23.0%	$16,534
29	Pueblo Community College Pueblo#2333 national	Public	$37,434	N/A	N/A	37.5%	$17,116
30	Adams State University Alamosa#2364 national	Public	$44,372	N/A	N/A	31.6%	$21,848
31	Community College of Denver Denver#2367 national	Public	$39,095	N/A	N/A	15.8%	$17,136
32	Technical College of the Rockies Delta	Public	$45,516	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
33	Columbia College - Denver Aurora	Private	$45,378	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,304
34	Montessori Education Center of the Rockies Denver	Private	$44,643	80.0%	N/A	91.7%	N/A
35	Colorado Northwestern Community College Rangely	Public	$43,526	N/A	N/A	N/A	$7,084
36	Nazarene Bible College Colorado Springs	Private	$41,450	N/A	N/A	N/A	$10,002
37	Pickens Technical College Aurora	Public	$39,210	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,330
38	Otero College - La Junta High School La Junta	Public	$39,018	N/A	N/A	N/A	$7,048
39	Lamar Community College Lamar	Public	$38,719	N/A	N/A	N/A	$7,052
40	Emily Griffith Technical College Denver	Public	$35,487	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
41	Naropa University Boulder	Private	$28,720	94.0%	N/A	46.0%	$34,600
42	Dr. Ida Rolf Institute Boulder	Private	N/A	100.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A
43	National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement (NIMAA) Denver	Private	N/A	20.7%	N/A	N/A	N/A

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Excludes for-profit institutions.

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