by our College Data Analytics Team
Looking for the best colleges for the money in the Rocky Mountains Region? Our ranking highlights 79 colleges by value — the balance of cost and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology. These are our No Aid ranking, which weighs each school’s published sticker price (tuition, fees, and room and board) before financial aid — use Customize Your Rankings below to narrow the list.
To help you make your decision, College Factual analyzed 79 schools to produce this 2026 best-value ranking, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
See What’s Included in This Value Report:
Our analysis looked at 79 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region to surface the strongest return on investment. We steer clear of subjective measures and weigh objective factors instead.
To determine a school’s value, we first add up average tuition, fees, and room and board — the published sticker price before any financial aid (the No Aid view). Cost alone isn’t enough — overall quality matters too. So we weigh that cost against outcomes like degree completion, educational resources, student-body caliber, and post-graduation earnings.
The result is a ranking of schools that give you the most for your money. See the full methodology.
The best value for you depends on what and where you want to study. Refine the list by location and field of study, or explore related rankings below. Start by picking a degree level:
Explore the best values below:
Our analysis ranked Colorado Mountain College the best college for the money in the Rocky Mountains Region. Set in Glenwood Springs, CO, Colorado Mountain College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $2,616, compared with $12,840 for out-of-state students. The median program debt is $12,953. A decade after starting, students earn a median of $44,127. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Brigham Young University Idaho one of the best values in the Rocky Mountains Region. Brigham Young University Idaho is a private not-for-profit school based in Rexburg, ID. In-state tuition and fees run about $4,800. Graduates carry a median of $13,287 in student loans. A decade after starting, students earn a median of $53,406. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. About 96% of those who apply are admitted.
Salt Lake Community College came in at #3 on this year's best-value ranking in the Rocky Mountains Region. Set in Salt Lake City, UT, Salt Lake Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $4,426, with out-of-state students paying around $14,244. Students borrow a median of $10,855 to complete their program here. Median earnings reach $47,867 ten years out. Set against $10,855 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
You'll get strong value at Snow College, which ranked #4 this year. This public school is set in Ephraim, UT. Students from in state pay about $4,338 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $14,288. Graduates carry a median of $10,440 in student loans. A decade after starting, students earn a median of $41,022. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #5 makes Utah Valley University one of the best values in the Rocky Mountains Region. Based in Orem, UT, Utah Valley University is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $6,507, with out-of-state students paying around $18,489. Students borrow a median of $16,478 to complete their program here. Utah Valley University alumni report median earnings of $55,486 a decade after entry. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Eastern Wyoming College placed #6 among the best values in the Rocky Mountains Region. Eastern Wyoming College is a public school based in Torrington, WY. In-state tuition and fees run about $4,290, with out-of-state students paying around $10,590. Students borrow a median of $7,690 to complete their program here. Eastern Wyoming College alumni report median earnings of $37,121 a decade after entry. Set against $7,690 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Laramie County Community College landed the #7 spot for value in the Rocky Mountains Region this year. Based in Cheyenne, WY, Laramie County Community College is a public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,613 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $10,913. Students borrow a median of $15,309 to complete their program here. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $44,783. Set against $15,309 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
College Of Southern Idaho came in at #8 in this year's value ranking. Set in Twin Falls, ID, College Of Southern Idaho is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $3,360, while out-of-state students pay about $6,840. Graduates carry a median of $11,175 in student loans. A decade after starting, students earn a median of $40,916. That is a strong return on a $11,175 median debt.
Morgan Community College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best colleges for the money. Located in Fort Morgan, CO, Morgan Community College is a public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,252, compared with $16,852 for out-of-state students. Graduates carry a median of $11,746 in student loans. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $39,429. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Miles Community College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best colleges for the money. This public school is set in Miles City, MT. In-state tuition and fees average $5,500, with out-of-state students paying around $11,220. Students borrow a median of $20,574 to complete their program here. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $42,862. That is a strong return on a $20,574 median debt.
Community College Of Aurora ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best colleges for the money. Set in Aurora, CO, Community College Of Aurora is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,470, with out-of-state students paying around $17,070. The median program debt is $15,365. Median earnings reach $44,592 ten years out. That is a strong return on a $15,365 median debt.
Sheridan College came in at #12 in this year's value ranking. Sheridan College is a public school based in Sheridan, WY. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,830, while out-of-state students pay about $11,130. Students borrow a median of $13,910 to complete their program here. Graduates go on to earn a median of $40,477 ten years after entry. Set against $13,910 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Western Governors University offered strong value this year, earning the #13 position. Set in Salt Lake City, UT, Western Governors University is a private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $8,658. The median program debt is $23,277. Median earnings reach $60,615 ten years out. That is a strong return on a $23,277 median debt.
Western Wyoming Community College placed #14 among the best values in the Rocky Mountains Region. Set in Rock Springs, WY, Western Wyoming Community College is a public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,230, compared with $10,530 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,628 to complete their program here. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $40,939. That is a strong return on a $12,628 median debt.
Eastern Idaho Technical College landed the #15 spot for value in the Rocky Mountains Region this year. Located in Idaho Falls, ID, Eastern Idaho Technical College is a public institution. Students from in state pay about $3,390 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $6,750. Eastern Idaho Technical College students take on a median of $17,066 in debt. A decade after starting, students earn a median of $42,057. Set against $17,066 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
College Of Western Idaho ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the best colleges for the money. This public school is set in Nampa, ID. In-state tuition and fees average $3,446, while out-of-state students pay about $7,454. Typical student debt is $12,497.
Northwest College came in at #17 in this year's value ranking. Set in Powell, WY, Northwest College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $4,962, while out-of-state students pay about $11,262. Students borrow a median of $12,996 to complete their program here. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $36,950. That is a strong return on a $12,996 median debt.
Latter Day Saints Business College came in at #18 in this year's value ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Salt Lake City, UT. Students from in state pay about $4,004 in tuition and fees. Graduates go on to earn a median of $50,630 ten years after entry.
Aims Community College placed #19 among the best values in the Rocky Mountains Region. This public school is set in Greeley, CO. In-state tuition and fees average $2,258, with out-of-state students paying around $11,786. Students borrow a median of $11,199 to complete their program here. A decade after starting, students earn a median of $41,887. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Casper College offered strong value this year, earning the #20 position. Based in Casper, WY, Casper College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,410, with out-of-state students paying around $10,710. Casper College students take on a median of $12,598 in debt. Casper College alumni report median earnings of $40,935 a decade after entry. Set against $12,598 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Red Rocks Community College landed the #21 spot for value in the Rocky Mountains Region this year. Based in Lakewood, CO, Red Rocks Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,859, compared with $17,459 for out-of-state students. Graduates carry a median of $14,471 in student loans. Median earnings reach $46,288 ten years out. That is a strong return on a $14,471 median debt.
Weber State University ranked #22 on our 2026 list of the best colleges for the money. Located in Ogden, UT, Weber State University is a public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,557, with out-of-state students paying around $17,545. The median program debt is $19,176. Weber State University alumni report median earnings of $56,287 a decade after entry. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Flathead Valley Community College ranked #23 on our 2026 list of the best colleges for the money. Located in Kalispell, MT, Flathead Valley Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,912, with out-of-state students paying around $11,659. Typical student debt is $16,094. Flathead Valley Community College alumni report median earnings of $38,520 a decade after entry. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Community College Of Denver came in at #24 in this year's value ranking. Based in Denver, CO, Community College Of Denver is a public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,058, compared with $17,658 for out-of-state students. The median program debt is $18,830. Graduates go on to earn a median of $39,095 ten years after entry. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Fort Peck Community College offered strong value this year, earning the #25 position. Set in Poplar, MT, Fort Peck Community College is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,250. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $14,747.
These schools also landed near the top of this year’s value ranking:
*Averages shown above reflect the top 79 ranked schools only.
These rankings are produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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 Best Colleges For Money · Scope: Region · 79 schools evaluated. References
More about our data sources and methodologies.