by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the graduate school options in Colorado, narrowing things down is no easy task. We have ranked **9** graduate schools by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you make your decision, College Factual evaluated 9 graduate schools across over 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.
This is how starting salaries are distributed among the top-ranked graduate schools:
Here are the top-ranked graduate schools:
Colorado School Of Mines earned the #1 spot in this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking 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%. In-state tuition and fees run about $21,914, with out-of-state students paying around $45,824. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $76,298. The median student debt is $24,521.
You'll be in good company at University Of Denver, which ranked #2 this year. 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. University Of Denver graduates report median early-career earnings of $56,999. Graduates carry a median of $22,534 in student loans.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Colorado Boulder one of the top graduate schools in Colorado. Set in Boulder, CO, University Of Colorado Boulder is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 74%. In-state tuition and fees average $15,214, while out-of-state students pay about $42,970. University Of Colorado Boulder graduates report median early-career earnings of $55,861. Graduates carry a median of $20,373 in student loans.
You'll be in good company at Colorado State University Fort Collins, which ranked #4 this year. Located in Fort Collins, CO, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a public institution. Roughly 66% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $13,373 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $35,061. Early-career graduates earn a median of $51,693. The median student debt is $22,843.
Out of the 9 graduate schools in Colorado in this year's ranking, University Of Colorado Denver landed the #5 spot. Based in Denver, CO, University Of Colorado Denver is a public institution. University Of Colorado Denver posts a six-year graduation rate of 46%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,383, compared with $29,391 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $66,022. The median student debt is $26,582.
University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs is a public school based in Colorado Springs, CO. University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs graduates 47% of students within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,906, while out-of-state students pay about $25,039. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $52,626. Graduates carry a median of $23,559 in student loans.
University Of Northern Colorado landed the #7 spot in Colorado this year. Set in Greeley, CO, University Of Northern Colorado is a public institution. About 51% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,901, while out-of-state students pay about $26,979. Median early-career earnings reach $45,705. Students borrow a median of $23,974 to complete a degree here.
Taft University System landed the #8 spot in Colorado this year. This private for-profit school is set in Denver, CO. Median early-career earnings reach $78,953.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked graduate schools only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.