Best Private Colleges in Colorado 2024

Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges in Colorado.

Naropa University 100%
Regis University 81%
University of Denver 64%
Colorado College 14%

Colorado Technical University 31 to 1
Colorado Christian University 15 to 1
University of Denver 11 to 1
Regis University 11 to 1
Colorado College 9 to 1
Aspen University 8 to 1
Naropa University 7 to 1

Colorado College $62,070
University of Denver $54,819
Regis University $39,610
Naropa University $34,800
Colorado Christian University $17,476
Colorado Technical University $12,581
Aspen University $5,110

University of Denver $53,640
Colorado College $34,300
Naropa University $19,556
Regis University $14,063
Colorado Technical University $13,683
Colorado Christian University $13,474
Aspen University $3,900

Colorado Christian University
Colorado Technical University
Aspen University
Regis University
Naropa University
Colorado College
University of Denver

Colorado College 14%
University of Denver 64%
Regis University 81%
Naropa University 100%

Naropa University 7 to 1
Aspen University 8 to 1
Colorado College 9 to 1
University of Denver 11 to 1
Regis University 11 to 1
Colorado Christian University 15 to 1
Colorado Technical University 31 to 1

Aspen University $5,110
Colorado Technical University $12,581
Colorado Christian University $17,476
Naropa University $34,800
Regis University $39,610
University of Denver $54,819
Colorado College $62,070

Aspen University $3,900
Colorado Christian University $13,474
Colorado Technical University $13,683
Regis University $14,063
Naropa University $19,556
Colorado College $34,300
University of Denver $53,640

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

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

How do we determine Colorado's best private 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.

This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 7 private universities in Colorado. To be included in the list below of the best private universities in Colorado, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.