Most Affordable Colleges in Colorado 2024

Badge for MOST AFFORDABLE COLLEGES IN COLORADO

Published: Mar 15, 2021
Updated: Dec 7, 2023

Here are the most affordable colleges and universities in Colorado. Our list will help you find the right kind of school for you, at a price you can afford.

Key Takeaways

Colorado is home to so many great colleges and universities, including specialized private schools, top-tier state schools, and leading community colleges.
Colorado is considered the third most educated state in the US. This gives Colorado graduates better job opportunities.
The cost of college in Colorado is on average lower than in most states. Plus, the state has 19 four-year colleges and universities, and 470 public, private, and technical higher education institutions.

University of Colorado Boulder
Colorado State University
United States Air Force Academy
University of Colorado Denver
University of Northern Colorado
Aspen University
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Fort Lewis College
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Colorado Technical University

Adams State University 99%
Colorado State University Pueblo 99%
Metropolitan State University of Denver 98%
Western Colorado University 92%
Colorado State University 91%
Fort Lewis College 91%
University of Colorado Colorado Springs 85%
Colorado Mesa University 82%
University of Colorado Boulder 81%
University of Northern Colorado 79%

Colorado Technical University 31 to 1
Red Rocks Community College 22 to 1
Community College of Denver 20 to 1
Pueblo Community College 19 to 1
University of Colorado Boulder 18 to 1
Colorado Mesa University 18 to 1
Colorado State University 17 to 1
University of Colorado Denver 17 to 1
Metropolitan State University of Denver 16 to 1
Western Colorado University 16 to 1

Colorado Christian University $17,476
Colorado Technical University $12,696
University of Colorado Boulder $11,004
University of Colorado Colorado Springs $10,990
Colorado State University $9,903
University of Colorado Denver $8,736
Metropolitan State University of Denver $8,445
Colorado Mesa University $8,261
University of Northern Colorado $8,180
Fort Lewis College $7,200

University of Colorado Boulder $15,251
University of Colorado Colorado Springs $14,560
Western Colorado University $14,000
Colorado Technical University $13,937
Colorado Christian University $13,931
University of Northern Colorado $11,628
Colorado State University $10,834
Red Rocks Community College $10,278
Colorado Mesa University $9,548
Metropolitan State University of Denver $9,169

Pueblo Community College
Red Rocks Community College
Colorado State University Pueblo
Colorado Mountain College
Colorado Christian University
Adams State University
Western Colorado University
Community College of Denver
Fort Lewis College
Colorado Mesa University

Red Rocks Community College
Pueblo Community College
Colorado State University Pueblo
Colorado Christian University
Western Colorado University
Colorado Mountain College
Adams State University
Colorado Mesa University
Community College of Denver
Colorado Technical University

United States Air Force Academy 16%
University of Colorado Denver 75%
University of Northern Colorado 79%
University of Colorado Boulder 81%
Colorado Mesa University 82%
University of Colorado Colorado Springs 85%
Fort Lewis College 91%
Colorado State University 91%
Western Colorado University 92%
Metropolitan State University of Denver 98%

Aspen University 5 to 1
United States Air Force Academy 7 to 1
Colorado Mountain College 13 to 1
Adams State University 13 to 1
University of Northern Colorado 14 to 1
Fort Lewis College 15 to 1
University of Colorado Colorado Springs 15 to 1
Colorado State University Pueblo 15 to 1
Metropolitan State University of Denver 16 to 1
Western Colorado University 16 to 1

Red Rocks Community College $3,744
Community College of Denver $3,754
Pueblo Community College $3,754
Colorado Mountain College $4,680
Aspen University $5,355
Adams State University $6,072
Colorado State University Pueblo $6,670
Western Colorado University $6,936
Fort Lewis College $7,200
University of Northern Colorado $8,180

Aspen University $3,900
Colorado State University Pueblo $5,996
Fort Lewis College $6,750
Adams State University $7,704
University of Colorado Denver $7,722
Metropolitan State University of Denver $9,169
Colorado Mesa University $9,548
Red Rocks Community College $10,278
Colorado State University $10,834
University of Northern Colorado $11,628

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Colorado

Fans of the outdoors will feel right at home in Colorado. With the Rocky Mountains, Colorado River, and even part of the Great Plains, you’re sure to find adventure in The Centennial State. Students looking to balance outdoor adventure with higher education can choose from over 40 colleges and universities offering associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees for an average in-state tuition of $10,800.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

Colorado’s 28 public institutes include junior colleges, universities, the United States Air Force Academy, and the Colorado School of Mines, a research university that specializes in science, technology, engineering, and math.

Tuition for Colorado’s public schools ranges from $3,000 to $19,000, with many of the colleges and junior colleges starting at $4,000 and the universities at $8,000. Several of public colleges in Colorado enroll a large number of online students, including Colorado State University

Colorado’s private institutions boast smaller class sizes and student populations. This category includes five religiously affiliated campuses. Private colleges in Colorado tend to be more expensive, ranging from $4,000 to $55,000 in tuition. There are several online colleges in Colorado that are categorized as private schools.

The University of Colorado, Boulder, a notable research institute, is ranked as the number one school in the state and has a student population of just over 32,000. Students can earn degrees in computer science and physics both through in-person courses and online learning. Influential Boulder alumni include Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Academy Award-winning actor and director Robert Redford.

Prospective art students can check out Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, and those desiring a career in the medical field can look into the Institute of Business and Medical Careers.

To learn more, check out the best brick-and-mortar and online colleges in Colorado.

What are Colorado’s Colleges & Universities?

Colorado’s Best Overall

Colorado Colleges: Emphasizing the Affordability Factor

If you’re a student dreaming to earn your college degree in Colorado, that’s not a surprise. After all, Colorado has so much to offer, including being home to a lot of highly-regarded schools. And despite the affordable colleges located in the state, how you handle the cost of education can still be challenging.

Thankfully, you can make your dreams of earning a degree in Colorado a reality. With careful planning and intensive research, not only will you choose the most ideal school, but also guarantee that you can cover your Colorado college tuition, accommodation, and more.

State Financial Aid Options for Colorado Students

Finding the most affordable college schools in Colorado is not only the best way to help cut down the cost of college. There are several financial aid options available that any Colorado student can enjoy.

If you intend to enroll in college in Colorado, check to see if you qualify to receive assistance from the Colorado Opportunity Fund. This stipend also transfers with the student. This means that you can have the fund for any course offered by a recognized college/university, particularly under the Colorado community college system, as long as you remain qualified for the program.

For students who do not have a lawful presence in the country, you can still be eligible for the COF stipend. The Colorado ASSET Legislation (AKA Advancing Students for a Stronger Economy Tomorrow) gives any student without lawful presence the chance to qualify for in-state tuition. As long as you meet the requirements set by ASSET, then you can qualify for the COF stipend.

Colorado Student Scholarships

Boettcher Foundation Scholarships: This is a merit-based scholarship program that awards qualified Colorado high school seniors a full ride to any four-year university/college in the state. It covers full tuition and fees (including laboratory costs), a living stipend of $2,800 annually towards room and board, and a book allowance.

Denver Scholarship Foundation: The Denver Scholarship Foundation partners with Denver public schools through the Future Centers situated in Denver-area high schools. This need-based scholarship program awards as much as $13,600 over two or four years, to nearly 14,000 students every year.

Greenhouse Scholars: Through its unique Whole Person approach, this scholarship program is bent on cultivating the next generation of dedicated community leaders. This program awards personal and comprehensive financial support of up to $5,000 in tuition assistance. It also offers mentorship, peer support, professional networking, and internship opportunities.

Colorado Student Loans and Repayment Programs

Colorado Health Service Corps: This is open to primary care providers who are working in locations designated as health professional shortage areas. Students are eligible for repayment of student loans up to $90,000.

State Dental Loan Repayment Program: This loan repayment program requires eligible students to offer dental services to underserved populations. To be accepted in the program, students must work in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for at least two years.

The amounts awarded are varied and are usually based on the number of uninsured patients and Medicaid, and Old Age Pension patients each month.

Educational Assistance for Colorado Military and Veterans

State Tuition Assistance for Colorado National Guard: The Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs provides a tuition assistance program for qualified members of the Colorado National Guard. At present, the program pays $4,250 per semester for tuition for each qualified student.

Additional Support for Colorado Students Pursuing Undergraduate and Graduate degrees

Colorado GEAR UP Scholarship
Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) Community Partnership Program Grant
Colorado Second Chance Scholarship Program

How do we determine Colorado's best affordable colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

There are 20 colleges and universities in Colorado with stated tuitions and fees under $20,000/year. The following list of the most affordable colleges and universities in Colorado is composed entirely of schools offering bachelor’s degree programs, have stated tuition and fees near or under the national average of $16,000/year, and are fully accredited colleges.

Most Affordable Colleges in Colorado 2023

These schools are ranked by academic excellence, and all under $20,000/year.

Build your own college ranking

Colorado’s Most Affordable Colleges in Your Area of Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Most Affordable Colleges in Colorado 2024

Key Takeaways

10 Most Affordable Colleges in Colorado

Colleges and Universities in Colorado

What are Colorado’s Colleges & Universities?

Colorado Colleges: Emphasizing the Affordability Factor

State Financial Aid Options for Colorado Students

Colorado Student Scholarships

Colorado Student Loans and Repayment Programs

Educational Assistance for Colorado Military and Veterans

Additional Support for Colorado Students Pursuing Undergraduate and Graduate degrees

Most Affordable Colleges in Colorado 2023

Career Outlook for degree at University of Colorado Boulder

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Colorado State University

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Colorado Denver

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Northern Colorado

Most Influential Alumni

Aspen University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Metropolitan State University of Denver

Most Influential Alumni

Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Most Influential Alumni

University of Colorado Colorado Springs’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Colorado Technical University

Career Outlook for degree at Colorado Mesa University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Fort Lewis College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Community College of Denver

Community College of Denver’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Western Colorado University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Adams State University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Colorado Christian University

Most Influential Alumni

Colorado Christian University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Colorado Mountain College

Career Outlook for degree at Colorado State University Pueblo

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Red Rocks Community College

Career Outlook for degree at Pueblo Community College

Colorado’s Most Affordable Colleges in Your Area of Interest