by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the college options in Colorado, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. This list ranks **31** schools by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual reviewed 31 colleges using more than 20 objective factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Your ideal college depends on your goals. Refine the list by location and field of study, or explore other rankings below. You can also browse by degree level:
Looking to pit your favorite colleges against each other? We built a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about these excellent colleges below:
Our analysis found Colorado School Of Mines to be the best college in Colorado. Based in Golden, CO, Colorado School Of Mines is a public institution. Colorado School Of Mines posts a six-year graduation rate of 82%. Students from in state pay about $21,914 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $45,824. Graduates go on to earn a median of $76,298 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $24,521.
Out of the 31 colleges in Colorado in this year's ranking, University Of Denver landed the #2 spot. Set in Denver, CO, University Of Denver is a private not-for-profit institution. About 76% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $61,398. Median early-career earnings reach $56,999. University Of Denver students take on a median of $22,534 in debt.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Colorado Boulder one of the top colleges in Colorado. University Of Colorado Boulder is a public school based in Boulder, CO. University Of Colorado Boulder posts a six-year graduation rate of 74%. Students from in state pay about $15,214 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $42,970. Graduates go on to earn a median of $55,861 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $20,373 in student loans.
Out of the 31 colleges in Colorado in this year's ranking, Colorado State University Fort Collins landed the #4 spot. This public school is set in Fort Collins, CO. Roughly 66% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $13,373 in tuition and fees, compared with $35,061 for out-of-state students. Colorado State University Fort Collins graduates report median early-career earnings of $51,693. Students borrow a median of $22,843 to complete a degree here.
A rank of #5 makes Colorado College one of the top colleges in Colorado. Set in Colorado Springs, CO, Colorado College is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 88% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $70,734 in tuition and fees. Median early-career earnings reach $37,342. Typical student debt is $17,921.
University Of Colorado Denver landed the #6 spot in Colorado this year. This public school is set in Denver, CO. University Of Colorado Denver posts a six-year graduation rate of 46%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,383, while out-of-state students pay about $29,391. University Of Colorado Denver graduates report median early-career earnings of $66,022. The median student debt is $26,582.
Regis University landed the #7 spot in Colorado this year. Based in Denver, CO, Regis University is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 62% of students complete a degree within six years here. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $28,140. Regis University graduates report median early-career earnings of $72,028. Students borrow a median of $31,773 to complete a degree here.
Denver School Of Nursing placed #8 among the best colleges in Colorado. Set in Denver, CO, Denver School Of Nursing is a private for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,458. Denver School Of Nursing graduates report median early-career earnings of $80,304. Students borrow a median of $32,832 to complete a degree here.
Rocky Vista University landed the #9 spot in Colorado this year. Rocky Vista University is a private for-profit school based in Parker, CO. Early-career graduates earn a median of $63,332.
University Of Northern Colorado placed #10 among the best colleges in Colorado. This public school is set in Greeley, CO. About 51% of students finish within six years. Students from in state pay about $11,901 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $26,979. Early-career graduates earn a median of $45,705. The median student debt is $23,974.
Colorado State University Global Campus came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Set in Denver, CO, Colorado State University Global Campus is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,000. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $68,936. Colorado State University Global Campus students take on a median of $31,361 in debt.
University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs did well this year, earning the #12 position. This public school is set in Colorado Springs, CO. Roughly 47% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $10,906 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $25,039. Early-career graduates earn a median of $52,626. The median student debt is $23,559.
Aims Community College did well this year, earning the #13 position. Based in Greeley, CO, Aims Community College is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,258, while out-of-state students pay about $11,786. Graduates go on to earn a median of $45,909 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $11,199 to complete a degree here.
Colorado Mountain College came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Set in Glenwood Springs, CO, Colorado Mountain College is a public institution. Colorado Mountain College posts a six-year graduation rate of 14%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,616, compared with $12,840 for out-of-state students. Colorado Mountain College graduates report median early-career earnings of $48,694. Typical student debt is $12,953.
Metropolitan State College Of Denver ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Located in Denver, CO, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a public institution. Roughly 31% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $11,124, while out-of-state students pay about $30,684. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $44,861. Graduates carry a median of $27,484 in student loans.
Mesa State College ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Based in Grand Junction, CO, Mesa State College is a public institution. Roughly 47% of students complete a degree within six years here. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,927, while out-of-state students pay about $25,124. Mesa State College graduates report median early-career earnings of $43,617. Typical student debt is $22,310.
Colorado Northwestern Community College ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. This public school is set in Rangely, CO. In-state tuition and fees average $4,594, while out-of-state students pay about $7,304. Graduates go on to earn a median of $56,978 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $18,127 in student loans.
Red Rocks Community College landed the #18 spot in Colorado this year. Located in Lakewood, CO, Red Rocks Community College is a public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,859 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $17,459. Early-career graduates earn a median of $76,340. Typical student debt is $14,471.
Trinidad State Junior College ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Set in Trinidad, CO, Trinidad State Junior College is a public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,608 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,318 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $53,086. Typical student debt is $10,502.
Arapahoe Community College ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. This public school is set in Littleton, CO. Students from in state pay about $4,434 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $17,034. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $47,579. The median student debt is $20,448.
Fort Lewis College ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Based in Durango, CO, Fort Lewis College is a public institution. Fort Lewis College posts a six-year graduation rate of 36%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,958, while out-of-state students pay about $21,526. Early-career graduates earn a median of $30,676. Typical student debt is $18,888.
Western State College Of Colorado came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Set in Gunnison, CO, Western State College Of Colorado is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 50%. In-state tuition and fees average $11,318, compared with $24,434 for out-of-state students. Western State College Of Colorado graduates report median early-career earnings of $36,712. Graduates carry a median of $23,455 in student loans.
Front Range Community College landed the #23 spot in Colorado this year. Front Range Community College is a public school based in Westminster, CO. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,663, with out-of-state students paying around $17,263. Front Range Community College graduates report median early-career earnings of $40,414. Typical student debt is $17,384.
Adams State College ranked #24 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Set in Alamosa, CO, Adams State College is a public institution. Adams State College graduates 32% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $9,824, with out-of-state students paying around $21,944. Early-career graduates earn a median of $48,101. Typical student debt is $25,523.
Colorado State University Pueblo did well this year, earning the #25 position. Located in Pueblo, CO, Colorado State University Pueblo is a public institution. Colorado State University Pueblo graduates 40% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $9,720, compared with $17,944 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $49,098 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $25,325 in student loans.
These colleges also placed among the very best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.