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Private nonprofit · 4-year

Colorado College

Colorado Springs, Colorado

31
F
DR Rating
DegreeReturn Rating — Poor value

A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.

Poor return
$-92,543 over 10 years

Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.

On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.

29.4 yrs
Break-even
-66%
10-year ROI
$49,761
Median earnings as of 2024
73% of Colorado College students earn more than a typical U.S. high-school graduate (about $28,000/yr) ten years after starting — measured from IRS tax records, not surveys.

The numbers behind the verdict

$33,375
Average net price / yr as of 2024
$49,761
Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
$47,327
Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024
$18,257
Median debt at graduation as of 2024
88%
Graduation rate as of 2024
73%
Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024
91%
Repaying their loans (3 yr) as of 2024
94%
Retention rate as of 2024

Lifetime ROI: the long view

Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.

$-92,543
After 10 years
$-44,933
After 20 years
$2,677
After 30 years
$50,287
After 40 years

Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.

Equity & access

Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.

By gender
Women
$66,407
Men
$64,531

3% gap between the two groups

By family-income background
From lower-income families
$77,401
From higher-income families
$67,511

13% gap between the two groups

18%
First-generation students
26%
Take federal student loans
89%
Born in the U.S.
Who studies here
White 68%Hispanic 11%Asian 5%Black 2%Other 14%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.

Net price by family income

What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.

Family incomeAverage net price / yr
Family income $0–$30k$9,217
$30k–$48k$15,477
$48k–$75k$12,568
$75k–$110k$24,129
$110k+$44,141

How Colorado College compares

This college against the Colorado and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.

Graduate earnings over time

Median earnings of Colorado College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.

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Best-paying majors at Colorado College

Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.

MajorCredentialEarnings (5 yr)Median debt10-yr ROIVerdict
EconomicsAssociate's$84,600$18,628+439%Strong return
Biology, GeneralAssociate's$49,761$20,000-36%Poor return
English Language and Literature, GeneralAssociate's$45,588-91%Poor return

Calculate your own ROI

Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.

ROI at Colorado College

Or pick your to set cost

Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.

10-yr net gain
Break-even
10-yr ROI

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Admissions & profile

19%
Admission rate
1,365
Average SAT
0
Median ACT
2,014
Undergraduates

Location

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.

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