Best Online Master’s Programs in Colorado 2023

Published: May 11, 2022
Updated: Sep 9, 2023

Find the best online colleges in Colorado ranked by the academic success of faculty and alumni associated with the colleges and universities and their online degree programs. Faculty and alumni with influential ideas are the foundation of respectable online degree programs employers can trust.

Top 10 Online Master's Programs in Colorado

University of Colorado Boulder
University of Denver
Colorado State University
University of Colorado Denver
University of Northern Colorado
Regis University
Aspen University
Metropolitan State University
American Sentinel University

University of Northern Colorado 91%
Colorado State University 90%
Regis University 81%
University of Colorado Boulder 80%
University of Colorado Denver 72%
Metropolitan State University 67%
University of Denver 64%

University of Colorado Boulder 18 to 1
University of Colorado Denver 17 to 1
University of Northern Colorado 16 to 1
Colorado State University 16 to 1
Metropolitan State University 15 to 1
University of Denver 11 to 1
Regis University 11 to 1
American Sentinel University 11 to 1
Aspen University 8 to 1

University of Denver $54,819
Regis University $39,610
University of Colorado Boulder $10,806
American Sentinel University $10,320
Colorado State University $9,709
Metropolitan State University $9,395
University of Colorado Denver $8,160
University of Northern Colorado $8,127
Aspen University $5,110

University of Denver $53,640
Regis University $14,063
University of Colorado Boulder $12,168
University of Northern Colorado $11,192
Colorado State University $10,834
Metropolitan State University $9,495
University of Colorado Denver $6,984
American Sentinel University $6,720
Aspen University $3,900

American Sentinel University
Metropolitan State University
Aspen University
Regis University
University of Northern Colorado
University of Colorado Denver
Colorado State University
University of Denver
University of Colorado Boulder

University of Denver 64%
Metropolitan State University 67%
University of Colorado Denver 72%
University of Colorado Boulder 80%
Regis University 81%
Colorado State University 90%
University of Northern Colorado 91%

Aspen University 8 to 1
University of Denver 11 to 1
Regis University 11 to 1
American Sentinel University 11 to 1
Metropolitan State University 15 to 1
University of Northern Colorado 16 to 1
Colorado State University 16 to 1
University of Colorado Denver 17 to 1
University of Colorado Boulder 18 to 1

Aspen University $5,110
University of Northern Colorado $8,127
University of Colorado Denver $8,160
Metropolitan State University $9,395
Colorado State University $9,709
American Sentinel University $10,320
University of Colorado Boulder $10,806
Regis University $39,610
University of Denver $54,819

Aspen University $3,900
American Sentinel University $6,720
University of Colorado Denver $6,984
Metropolitan State University $9,495
Colorado State University $10,834
University of Northern Colorado $11,192
University of Colorado Boulder $12,168
Regis University $14,063
University of Denver $53,640

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

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

Online master’s degrees offered by respected colleges and universities are generally respected by employers. The main thing to consider about your online master’s choices is whether the school name is well known and respected. In many cases, employers won’t know your degree was earned online. But even if they do, a degree from a respected college is automatically to your benefit.

We rank the colleges and universities in this list by the influence of their alumni and faculty. For master’s degree students, including online master’s degree students, having faculty who are influential in your field matters a lot. It’s a big indicator that you have the chance to get a quality education. And, knowing that you will join an alumni association with some impressive people is nice, too.

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Master’s Degrees

An online master’s degree costs about $40,000 for the average grad student. However, the cost of your online master’s degree will depend on the type of grad school you attend. In 2018-2019, the average cost for a year of tuition in a public grad school was $12,171. The average cost for a year of tuition in private, non-profit grad school was $27,776. An online master’s degree will usually cost about the same as a traditional master’s degree. Some schools will charge 5-10% more for online courses. This added cost pays for the technology and specialized training needed for online instruction. But getting a master’s degree online can also help you save money. The costs above don’t include expenses like housing, transportation, or certain campus fees. As an online grad student, you can save a lot of money by avoiding these added expenses. Many online master’s degree programs are also accelerated. Most master’s degree programs are designed to be completed in two years. But you may be able to earn your online master’s degree in as little as 12-18 months. Earning an accelerated online master’s degree can save you money on tuition.

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

How do we determine Colorado's best online master's degree programs?

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.

Median Salaries of Top Careers in Colorado

The following graph depicts the average salaries of top occupations in different industries in Colorado.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Annual Salary

104710Financial Risk Specialists

133860Database Architects

140690Aerospace Engineers

145880Physicists

192040Chief Executives

Best Online Master’s Programs in Colorado 2023

Top 10 Online Master's Programs in Colorado

Featured Programs

Colleges and Universities in Colorado

What are Colorado’s Colleges & Universities?

Median Salaries of Top Careers in Colorado

Best Online Master’s Program in Colorado 2022

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Colorado’s Best Grad Programs in Your Area Interest