Best Community Colleges in Colorado 2023
The best community colleges provide an effective springboard into higher education, offering students high-quality two-year degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. The top-rated community colleges in Colorado offer a broad selection of associate’s degrees, affordable tuition rates, and strong partnerships with public four-year schools so that students can easily transfer their credits into accredited bachelor’s degree programs.
10 Best Community Colleges in Colorado
- Community College of Aurora 29 to 1
- Arapahoe Community College 23 to 1
- Pikes Peak State College 20 to 1
- Otero College 17 to 1
- Northeastern Junior College 15 to 1
- Lamar Community College 15 to 1
- Aims Community College 15 to 1
- Morgan Community College 12 to 1
- Pikes Peak State College $3,680
- Lamar Community College $3,680
- Morgan Community College $3,680
- Trinidad State College $3,680
- Otero College $3,680
- Trinidad State College 11 to 1
- Morgan Community College 12 to 1
- Northeastern Junior College 15 to 1
- Lamar Community College 15 to 1
- Aims Community College 15 to 1
- Otero College 17 to 1
- Pikes Peak State College 20 to 1
- Aims Community College $2,544
- Pikes Peak State College $3,680
- Lamar Community College $3,680
- Morgan Community College $3,680
- Trinidad State College $3,680
- Otero College $3,680
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?
- 9 Research Universities
- 15 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 9 Graduate Schools
- 17 Public Colleges & Universities
- 7 Private Colleges & Universities
- 2 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 9 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 23 Affordable Colleges (below $20,000/year)
- 12 Community Colleges
- Best Online Colleges
Colorado’s Best Overall
We’ve identified 12 community colleges in Colorado. The following list shows the best community colleges and primarily associate degree granting colleges in Colorado.
If you’re interested in an online associate degree, visit our best online associate degrees in Colorado page.
Best Community Colleges in Colorado
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
24%
Student body
8K
What is Pikes Peak State College known for?
Pikes Peak State College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
26%
Student body
11K
What is Front Range Community College known for?
Front Range Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
29%
Student body
5K
What is Arapahoe Community College known for?
Arapahoe Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
40%
Student body
3K
What is Aims Community College known for?
Aims Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
31%
Student body
4K
What is Community College of Aurora known for?
Community College of Aurora’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
52%
Student body
<1K
What is Northeastern Junior College known for?
Northeastern Junior College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
41%
Student body
1K
What is Trinidad State College known for?
Trinidad State College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
36%
Student body
<1K
What is Lamar Community College known for?
Lamar Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
34%
Student body
<1K
Tuition + fees
$15K
Graduation
61%
Student body
1K
What is Institute of Business & Medical Careers known for?
Institute of Business & Medical Careers’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
57%
Student body
<1K
What is Morgan Community College known for?
Morgan Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
38%
Student body
<1K
What is Otero College known for?
Otero College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
2021 Ranking Archive
Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.
