by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview lays out the cost of attending University of Colorado Boulder, spanning what it costs to attend, projected costs over a degree, net price, debt outcomes, and aid equity.
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The full cost of attending University of Colorado Boulder fell between $33,466.00 through $62,718.00 depending on your residency status.
The lower figure reflects the in-state rate and the higher figure the out-of-state rate: about $33,466.00 in-state versus $62,718.00 for those paying out-of-state rates.
The blocks below show what you would pay with no aid, with average aid, and as a low-income student.
| Tuition and fees | $15,666.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $17,800.00 |
| Total cost | $33,466.00 |
| That is 74% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $33,466.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$12,338.00 |
| Net price | $21,128.00 |
| That is 10% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $33,466.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$23,453.00 |
| Net price | $10,013.00 |
| That is 48% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $44,918.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $17,800.00 |
| Total cost | $62,718.00 |
| That is 226% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $62,718.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$12,338.00 |
| Net price | $50,380.00 |
| That is 162% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $62,718.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$23,453.00 |
| Net price | $39,265.00 |
| That is 104% above the national average net price. | |
| For the full breakdown, see the tuition & fees page and living costs. |
Cost of attendance here has been rising at a recent average of 5.5% per year, so the four-year total runs well above today’s cost. The projections below run a full degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and the full sticker price. Loan totals assume a ten-year repayment at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.5% |
| Freshman year | $10,559.00 | $22,280.00 | $35,290.00 |
| Senior year | $12,382.00 | $26,126.00 | $41,383.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $45,817.00 | $96,676.00 | $153,131.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $17,454.00 | $36,830.00 | $58,337.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $527.00 | $1,113.00 | $1,762.00 |
| Total amount paid | $63,271.00 | $133,506.00 | $211,468.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.5% |
| Freshman year | $10,559.00 | $22,280.00 | $35,290.00 |
| Senior year | $11,135.00 | $23,494.00 | $37,214.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $21,693.00 | $45,774.00 | $72,505.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $8,264.00 | $17,438.00 | $27,622.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $250.00 | $527.00 | $834.00 |
| Total amount paid | $29,958.00 | $63,213.00 | $100,127.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.5% |
| Freshman year | $41,406.00 | $53,127.00 | $66,137.00 |
| Senior year | $48,553.00 | $62,298.00 | $77,554.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $179,665.00 | $230,524.00 | $286,979.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $68,446.00 | $87,821.00 | $109,329.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $2,068.00 | $2,653.00 | $3,303.00 |
| Total amount paid | $248,111.00 | $318,346.00 | $396,308.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.5% |
| Freshman year | $41,406.00 | $53,127.00 | $66,137.00 |
| Senior year | $43,663.00 | $56,023.00 | $69,743.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $85,069.00 | $109,149.00 | $135,880.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $32,408.00 | $41,582.00 | $51,765.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $979.00 | $1,256.00 | $1,564.00 |
| Total amount paid | $117,477.00 | $150,731.00 | $187,645.00 |
Read more in the Net Price section.
The net price figure shows the cost after grants and scholarships are deducted. For most families it is a more realistic figure than the published cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $25,346.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $21,480.00 |
The real cost varies by income because need-based aid scales with financial need. Here is the average net price for each family-income range:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $11,251.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $12,545.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $17,204.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $26,247.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $30,549.00 |
Get a tailored estimate from the University of Colorado Boulder Net Price Calculator, or check with the financial aid office.
Want to know how that aid is awarded? See the grants & scholarships detail.
Median graduate debt at University of Colorado Boulder comes to $13,000.00, categorized as a Low ($10-20k) debt-burden category.
The percentile spread of debt at graduation is shown below:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,500.00 |
| 25th | $5,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $13,000.00 |
| 75th | $25,000.00 |
| 90th | $30,750.00 |
How far apart the 10th and 90th percentiles sit tells you how uneven debt outcomes are.
Dig deeper into debt on the student-loan-debt breakdown.
Student debt at graduation is not evenly distributed across income levels. The figures below split graduating borrowers into three income brackets:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $13,000.00 |
| Middle income | $13,000.00 |
| High income | $13,000.00 |
First-gen students typically face different financial-aid contexts than students whose parents attended college.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $13,887.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,250.00 |
First-generation graduates of University of Colorado Boulder take on $1,637.00 in extra median debt compared with continuing-generation peers.
The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant for undergraduates from low-income families. Pell vs non-Pell comparisons surface how debt breaks down by need.
The median debt difference between Pell-eligible and non-Pell graduates of University of Colorado Boulder is $2,373.00. The Department of Education flags this school for a Pell-debt-inequity pattern.
The default-rate classification at University of Colorado Boulder is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 4.6% |
For scale, federal Stafford loan disbursements at University of Colorado Boulder come to $1,158,468,996.00 across 59,348 student borrowers.
Veteran and active-military students often access dedicated federal aid programs like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD tuition assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 1,026 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $16,643.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 19 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $2,592.00 |
Dig into veteran education benefits on the college veterans page.
The data above is a foundation; round it out by asking yourself about University of Colorado Boulder, keep these questions in mind:
Each page below covers one part of paying for college in more detail:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.