by our College Data Analytics TeamWestern Colorado University is a public institution in Gunnison, Colorado enrolling 1,586 undergraduates. It accepts 100% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 50%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #1,601 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 31%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Western Colorado University ranks #1,601 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 31%.
College Factual recognizes the best colleges and universities in its annual rankings. These rankings include categories for best overall colleges, best colleges for each major, best value schools, and much more.
Western is ranked #1,601 out of 5,159 schools in the nation for overall quality on College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges list.
Within the state, Western holds the #22 spot on the Best Colleges in Colorado ranking.
See all of the rankings for Western Colorado University.
With an acceptance rate of 100%, Western Colorado University is easier to get into than many other schools. But that doesn’t mean you can slack off on your application. Make sure to treat this school like any other when submitting requested materials and documents.
About 11% of students accepted to Western submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 608 and 683. Math scores were between 555 and 670.
Western received ACT scores from 8% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT Composite scores ranged between 22 and 26.
Learn more about Western Colorado University admissions.
The student to faculty ratio at Western Colorado University is about average at 17 to 1. This ratio is often used to gauge how many students might be in an average class and how much time professors will have to spend with their students on an individual level. The national average for this metric is 15 to 1.
In addition to the student to faculty ratio, some people look at what percentage of faculty members are full-time as a sign of how much time professors will be able to spend with their students. This is because part-time teachers may not be on campus as much as their full-time counterparts.
The full-time faculty percentage at Western Colorado University is 68%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.
The freshmen retention rate tells us what percentage of first-year, full-time students choose to continue on to their sophomore year at a particular school. The rate at Western Colorado University is 72%, which is about average when compared to the national rate of 68%.
Students are considered to have graduated on time if they finish their studies within four years. At Western the on-time graduation rate of first-time, full-time students is 50%. That is great when compared to the national average of 33.3%.
Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at Western Colorado University.
In the current academic year, there are 1,586 undergraduates at Western.
Get more detailed information on the diversity at Western Colorado University.
The average net price of Western is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.
| $0-30 K | $30K-48K | $48-75 | $75-110K | $110K + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $11,490 | $10,868 | $13,908 | $16,928 | $21,396 |
The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of Western, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.
Almost 66% of college students who graduated with the class of 2018 took out student loans, but that percentage varies from school to school. At Western, approximately 20% of students took out student loans averaging $8,322 a year. That adds up to $33,288 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 4.8%. This is significantly lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, which is a good sign that you’ll be able to pay back your student loans. Get more details about paying for Western Colorado University.
Yearly salaries vary depending on what you major in, but on average, bachelor’s degree recipients from Western Colorado University make around $46,833 per year during the early years of their employment. This is right on par with the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year. Also, graduates in your major field may make more.
See which majors at Western Colorado University make the most money.
Western Colorado University is an public institution found in Gunnison, Colorado. The surrounding location of Gunnison is ideal for students who enjoy the charms of a college town. Get more details about the location of Western Colorado University.
Contact information for Western Colorado University are given below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 1 Western Way, Gunnison, CO 81231 |
| Phone: | 9709432119 |
| Website: | www.western.edu |
| Wikipedia: | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_State_Colorado_University |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/WesternStateColoradoUniversity |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/westerncolou |
During the most recent year for which we have data, students from 20 majors graduated from Western Colorado University. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.
| Most Popular Majors | Completions | Average Salary of Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 545 | NA |
| Business Administration & Management | 76 | $40,324 |
| General Education | 46 | $42,272 |
| Writing Studies | 45 | NA |
| Natural Resources Conservation | 41 | $30,963 |
| General Biology | 38 | $26,963 |
| General Psychology | 37 | $23,793 |
| Health & Physical Education | 34 | $30,326 |
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 27 | NA |
| Computer Information Systems | 17 | NA |
1,511 students took at least one online class at Western Colorado University.
Online courses are a great option for busy, working students as well as for those who have scheduling conflicts and want to study on their own time. As time goes by, expect to see more and more online learning options become available.
Learn more about online learning at Western Colorado University.
Curious how schools stack up against Western? Compare them side by side using College Combat, our free tool for head-to-head college comparisons.
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References