2027 Best Value General Education Schools in Colorado

[General Education](/majors/education/general-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general education education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for general education students.
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2027 Best Value General Education Schools in Colorado
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Education Schools
Our analysis ranked Colorado Mountain College the best value for a degree in general education in Colorado. Set in the town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado Mountain College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $2,616 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $12,840. General Education graduates carry a median of $12,953 in student loans. Early-career general education graduates make about $48,694. Set against $12,953 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Colorado Denver one of the best values for general education. University Of Colorado Denver is a very large public school located in the city of Denver. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,383, compared with $29,391 for out-of-state students. General Education graduates carry a median of $27,936 in student loans. General Education graduates of University Of Colorado Denver earn a median of $44,479 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,936 median debt. University Of Colorado Denver admits about 75% of applicants.
Colorado State University Pueblo is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general education, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Pueblo, Colorado State University Pueblo is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,720, with out-of-state students paying around $17,944. General Education graduates carry a median of $25,325 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Colorado State University Pueblo generally make around $48,078. That is a strong return on a $25,325 median debt. Colorado State University Pueblo admits about 95% of applicants.
Mesa State College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general education, landing the #4 spot this year. Mesa State College is a large public school located in the city of Grand Junction. In-state tuition and fees average $9,927, with out-of-state students paying around $25,124. Students borrow a median of $22,310 to complete the general education program here. General Education graduates of Mesa State College earn a median of $52,796 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,310 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Students looking for strong value in general education will find it at Metropolitan State College Of Denver, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Denver, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,124, compared with $30,684 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,484 to complete the general education program here. General Education graduates of Metropolitan State College Of Denver earn a median of $49,122 early in their careers. Set against $27,484 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 99%.
Western State College Of Colorado ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value general education schools. Western State College Of Colorado is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Gunnison. In-state tuition and fees average $11,318, while out-of-state students pay about $24,434. Students borrow a median of $23,455 to complete the general education program here. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Western State College Of Colorado generally make around $51,949. Set against $23,455 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 100%.
Fort Lewis College placed #7 among the best values for general education. Set in the town of Durango, Fort Lewis College is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,958 in tuition and fees, compared with $21,526 for out-of-state students. General Education graduates carry a median of $18,888 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Fort Lewis College generally make around $30,676. That is a strong return on a $18,888 median debt. Fort Lewis College admits about 77% of applicants.
University Of Northern Colorado earned the #8 position for value in general education this year. University Of Northern Colorado is a large public school located in the city of Greeley. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,901, compared with $26,979 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,974 to complete the general education program here. Early-career general education graduates make about $46,262. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.
University Of Colorado Boulder landed the #9 spot for general education value this year. Set in the city of Boulder, University Of Colorado Boulder is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,214, while out-of-state students pay about $42,970. General Education graduates carry a median of $20,373 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from University Of Colorado Boulder generally make around $55,861. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
More General Education Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.