State cost ranking · DOE College Scorecard

Cheapest Colleges in Colorado

Private campuses outnumber public ones on this Colorado list (37 vs 30); Technical College of the Rockies still leads on average net price at $3,796.

$3,796
Cheapest net price
$17,052
Colorado median
67
Schools ranked

Technical College of the Rockies has the lowest average net price in Colorado among Scorecard reporters

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, Technical College of the Rockies posts the lowest average net price in Colorado at $3,796 among 67 ranked schools. Net price is what students paid after grant aid, not sticker tuition, and can reflect a narrow enrollment mix at specialty schools.

Data source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard

Cheapest net price
$3,796
Colorado median
$17,052
Schools ranked
67
National median
$17,124

Data updated August 2026 · IPEDS 2022–23 vintage

The list in one line

Technical College of the Rockies has the lowest average net price in Colorado at $3,796/year.

$3,796
cheapest ranked net price
$17,052
Colorado median net price
30 public / 37 private
schools in this ranking
$15,799
avg net price, <$30K income families

Average net price blends every income bracket; families under $30k average $15,799 here. Loans are excluded, open a school profile for the bracket table before treating one average as a personal cost.

Sticker tuition and real net price diverge most at Colorado College, where in-state published tuition of $70,734 falls to an average net price of $33,375 after aid, a $37,359 gap, the widest sticker-to-net gap among ranked Colorado schools.

Private campuses outnumber public ones here (37 vs 30). A low figure at a small religious or specialty school can reflect a narrow enrollment mix, check sector and enrollment beside the price.

The bar to make this top-25 list is $15,103. Here is where that cutoff sits among all 67 Scorecard-reporting Colorado schools:

The bar to make Colorado's top-25 cheapest list

Average net price after aid · 67 Scorecard-reporting schools

$15,103 Among the most affordable more affordable than 63% of 67 Colorado colleges

Show national distribution $0–$4,000: 1 Colorado colleges (1%). Below this entry. $4,000–$8,000: 4 Colorado colleges (6%). Below this entry. $8,000–$12,000: 12 Colorado colleges (18%). Below this entry. $12,000–$16,000: 11 Colorado colleges (16%). This entry sits in this band. $16,000–$20,000: 13 Colorado colleges (19%). Above this entry. $20,000–$24,000: 8 Colorado colleges (12%). Above this entry. $24,000–$28,000: 5 Colorado colleges (7%). Above this entry. $28,000–$32,000: 6 Colorado colleges (9%). Above this entry. $32,000–$36,000: 5 Colorado colleges (7%). Above this entry. $36,000–$40,000: 2 Colorado colleges (3%). Above this entry. #25 cutoff $0 $40,000 every ranked Colorado college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more Colorado colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · 2022–23

Colorado's 25 cheapest colleges by real net price

2
Pikes Peak State CollegeColorado Springs, CO · Public
Avg net price
$6,007
Net price (<$30K income)
$3,811
Median debt
$9,000
Median earnings, 6yr
$35,799
Enrollment
12,556
3
Pickens Technical CollegeAurora, CO · Public
Avg net price
$6,600
Net price (<$30K income)
$6,980
Median debt
-
Median earnings, 6yr
$36,111
Enrollment
1,060
5
Colorado Mountain CollegeGlenwood Springs, CO · Public
Avg net price
$7,813
Net price (<$30K income)
$5,190
Median debt
$9,000
Median earnings, 6yr
$36,307
Enrollment
5,494
6
Community College of AuroraAurora, CO · Public
Avg net price
$8,656
Net price (<$30K income)
$6,305
Median debt
$10,500
Median earnings, 6yr
$38,842
Enrollment
8,833
7
Red Rocks Community CollegeLakewood, CO · Public
Avg net price
$9,044
Net price (<$30K income)
$5,901
Median debt
$9,500
Median earnings, 6yr
$41,495
Enrollment
8,419
8
Lamar Community CollegeLamar, CO · Public
Avg net price
$9,161
Net price (<$30K income)
$7,513
Median debt
$8,750
Median earnings, 6yr
$31,813
Enrollment
690
9
Morgan Community CollegeFort Morgan, CO · Public
Avg net price
$9,266
Net price (<$30K income)
$6,391
Median debt
$8,501
Median earnings, 6yr
$37,293
Enrollment
1,626
10
Community College of DenverDenver, CO · Public
Avg net price
$9,450
Net price (<$30K income)
$8,356
Median debt
$12,495
Median earnings, 6yr
$36,412
Enrollment
7,965
11
Cheeks Beauty AcademyLoveland, CO · Private for-profit
Avg net price
$9,739
Net price (<$30K income)
$9,080
Median debt
$7,000
Median earnings, 6yr
$22,467
Enrollment
46
12
Avg net price
$10,051
Net price (<$30K income)
$9,374
Median debt
$21,500
Median earnings, 6yr
$43,053
Enrollment
6,851
13
Trinidad State CollegeTrinidad, CO · Public
Avg net price
$10,772
Net price (<$30K income)
$9,366
Median debt
$8,908
Median earnings, 6yr
$36,025
Enrollment
1,613
14
Otero CollegeLa Junta, CO · Public
Avg net price
$11,103
Net price (<$30K income)
$9,735
Median debt
$10,250
Median earnings, 6yr
$34,087
Enrollment
959
15
Aims Community CollegeGreeley, CO · Public
Avg net price
$11,463
Net price (<$30K income)
$10,196
Median debt
$6,844
Median earnings, 6yr
$39,696
Enrollment
8,542
16
Arapahoe Community CollegeLittleton, CO · Public
Avg net price
$11,571
Net price (<$30K income)
$8,588
Median debt
$11,884
Median earnings, 6yr
$43,676
Enrollment
15,012
18
Pueblo Community CollegePueblo, CO · Public
Avg net price
$12,045
Net price (<$30K income)
$9,941
Median debt
$10,000
Median earnings, 6yr
$33,368
Enrollment
7,284
20
Adams State UniversityAlamosa, CO · Public
Avg net price
$12,980
Net price (<$30K income)
$9,947
Median debt
$19,500
Median earnings, 6yr
$38,338
Enrollment
2,901
21
Front Range Community CollegeWestminster, CO · Public
Avg net price
$13,031
Net price (<$30K income)
$9,955
Median debt
$12,251
Median earnings, 6yr
$40,548
Enrollment
21,970
23
Northeastern Junior CollegeSterling, CO · Public
Avg net price
$13,801
Net price (<$30K income)
$10,206
Median debt
$9,376
Median earnings, 6yr
$36,367
Enrollment
1,684
25
Colorado Mesa UniversityGrand Junction, CO · Public
Avg net price
$15,103
Net price (<$30K income)
$10,792
Median debt
$22,000
Median earnings, 6yr
$39,223
Enrollment
9,785
#CollegeAvg net priceNet price (<$30K income)Median debtMedian earnings, 6yrEnrollment
1Technical College of the RockiesDelta, CO · Public$3,79690% of the leader · rank #1$2,785$4,750$38,763304
2Pikes Peak State CollegeColorado Springs, CO · Public$6,00784% of the leader · rank #2$3,811$9,000$35,79912,556
3Pickens Technical CollegeAurora, CO · Public$6,60082% of the leader · rank #3$6,980-$36,1111,060
4Emily Griffith Technical CollegeDenver, CO · Public$7,19781% of the leader · rank #4$7,011-$31,2966,123
5Colorado Mountain CollegeGlenwood Springs, CO · Public$7,81379% of the leader · rank #5$5,190$9,000$36,3075,494
6Community College of AuroraAurora, CO · Public$8,65677% of the leader · rank #6$6,305$10,500$38,8428,833
7Red Rocks Community CollegeLakewood, CO · Public$9,04476% of the leader · rank #7$5,901$9,500$41,4958,419
8Lamar Community CollegeLamar, CO · Public$9,16175% of the leader · rank #8$7,513$8,750$31,813690
9Morgan Community CollegeFort Morgan, CO · Public$9,26675% of the leader · rank #9$6,391$8,501$37,2931,626
10Community College of DenverDenver, CO · Public$9,45075% of the leader · rank #10$8,356$12,495$36,4127,965
11Cheeks Beauty AcademyLoveland, CO · Private for-profit$9,73974% of the leader · rank #11$9,080$7,000$22,46746
12Colorado State University PuebloPueblo, CO · Public$10,05173% of the leader · rank #12$9,374$21,500$43,0536,851
13Trinidad State CollegeTrinidad, CO · Public$10,77271% of the leader · rank #13$9,366$8,908$36,0251,613
14Otero CollegeLa Junta, CO · Public$11,10370% of the leader · rank #14$9,735$10,250$34,087959
15Aims Community CollegeGreeley, CO · Public$11,46369% of the leader · rank #15$10,196$6,844$39,6968,542
16Arapahoe Community CollegeLittleton, CO · Public$11,57169% of the leader · rank #16$8,588$11,884$43,67615,012
17University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, CO · Public$11,90068% of the leader · rank #17$6,743$20,500$52,47523,124
18Pueblo Community CollegePueblo, CO · Public$12,04568% of the leader · rank #18$9,941$10,000$33,3687,284
19Colorado Northwestern Community CollegeRangely, CO · Public$12,13167% of the leader · rank #19$8,832$12,000$39,7601,271
20Adams State UniversityAlamosa, CO · Public$12,98065% of the leader · rank #20$9,947$19,500$38,3382,901
21Front Range Community CollegeWestminster, CO · Public$13,03165% of the leader · rank #21$9,955$12,251$40,54821,970
22Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-BoulderBoulder, CO · Private for-profit$13,36764% of the leader · rank #22$12,863$9,653$32,1018,504
23Northeastern Junior CollegeSterling, CO · Public$13,80163% of the leader · rank #23$10,206$9,376$36,3671,684
24The Salon Professional Academy-Colorado SpringsColorado Springs, CO · Private for-profit$14,40961% of the leader · rank #24$13,555$6,333$29,698121
25Colorado Mesa UniversityGrand Junction, CO · Public$15,10359% of the leader · rank #25$10,792$22,000$39,2239,785

Showing the 25 cheapest of 67 Scorecard-reporting Colorado schools. The remaining 42 are ranked in the same net-price order but omitted from this HTML table so the page stays crawlable.

Look up any institution's exact rank via My School Profile, or open its school page for income-bracket net price, debt, and earnings.

What this means for you

Use Colorado's ranking as a starting point, real net price depends on your specific financial-aid package.

  • Technical College of the Rockies reports the lowest average net price in Colorado, but "average" blends every income bracket, check your bracket's figure before assuming it applies to you. View Technical College of
  • See your specific school's in-state cost rank and nearest-price peers. My School Profile
  • Compare campus safety alongside cost before deciding. Colorado safety

Figures reflect the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23 release.

Average net price = the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, excluding loans. Only schools with a reported average net price in the DOE College Scorecard dataset are ranked. This page lists the 25 cheapest; the title count is the full Scorecard-reporting cohort for Colorado. Schools with fewer than 10 net-price-reporting institutions in a state or territory are not given a dedicated ranking page.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23

Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Every ranked figure on this page is queried directly from the DOE College Scorecard dataset at request time; no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.