2027 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Colorado

[General Mechanical Engineering](/majors/engineering/me-mechanical-engineering/general-mechanical-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for general mechanical engineering students.
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2027 Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools in Colorado
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general mechanical engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Mechanical Engineering Schools
University Of Colorado Denver tops our 2027 list of the best value general mechanical engineering schools in Colorado. Located in the city of Denver, University Of Colorado Denver is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,383, compared with $29,391 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general mechanical engineering graduates is $30,907. General Mechanical Engineering graduates of University Of Colorado Denver earn a median of $70,763 early in their careers. Set against $30,907 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
Front Range Community College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value general mechanical engineering schools. Located in the suburb of Westminster, Front Range Community College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,663, with out-of-state students paying around $17,263. Students borrow a median of $17,384 to complete the general mechanical engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general mechanical engineering degree recipients from Front Range Community College generally make around $40,414. That is a strong return on a $17,384 median debt.
University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general mechanical engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs is a large public school located in the city of Colorado Springs. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,906, with out-of-state students paying around $25,039. Typical student debt for general mechanical engineering graduates is $23,250. General Mechanical Engineering graduates of University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs earn a median of $70,440 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general mechanical engineering will find it at Colorado State University Fort Collins, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,373, with out-of-state students paying around $35,061. General Mechanical Engineering graduates carry a median of $26,184 in student loans. General Mechanical Engineering graduates of Colorado State University Fort Collins earn a median of $77,053 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,184 median debt. Colorado State University Fort Collins admits about 88% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in general mechanical engineering will find it at University Of Colorado Boulder, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Boulder, University Of Colorado Boulder is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,214, with out-of-state students paying around $42,970. Typical student debt for general mechanical engineering graduates is $20,500. General Mechanical Engineering graduates of University Of Colorado Boulder earn a median of $75,355 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Colorado School Of Mines came in at #6 for value in general mechanical engineering this year. Set in the suburb of Golden, Colorado School Of Mines is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,914, while out-of-state students pay about $45,824. Typical student debt for general mechanical engineering graduates is $25,000. Early-career general mechanical engineering graduates make about $81,619. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Colorado School Of Mines admits about 61% of applicants.
University Of Denver landed the #7 spot for general mechanical engineering value this year. University Of Denver is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Denver. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $61,398. Students borrow a median of $26,248 to complete the general mechanical engineering program here. Early-career general mechanical engineering graduates make about $65,014. That is a strong return on a $26,248 median debt. The acceptance rate is 78%.
More General Mechanical Engineering Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.