State cost ranking · DOE College Scorecard
Cheapest Colleges in Colorado
According to U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data, 67 Colorado colleges ranked by average net price, what students actually paid after grant and scholarship aid, not the published sticker price.
- $3,796
- Cheapest net price
- $17,052
- Colorado median
- 67
- Schools ranked
Data updated June 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 is the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, not counting loans that must be repaid. A very low figure at a specialty or religious institution can reflect a narrow enrollment mix rather than typical affordability, check the sector label and enrollment before comparing.
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. This is the widest sticker-to-net-price gap among ranked Colorado schools, and a reminder that published tuition alone is a poor guide to what most admitted students actually pay.
Across all 67 ranked Colorado schools, 30 are public institutions and 37 are private (nonprofit or for-profit). Sector is shown next to every school below because a low sticker-adjacent price at a small religious, seminary, or specialty school can reflect an unusual enrollment mix rather than broad affordability, check enrollment and sector before drawing conclusions from rank alone.
Average net price also blends every income bracket into one figure, so a family's own bracket can land well above or below the number shown here. Federal reporting requires an institution to have enough surveyed aid recipients in a bracket before that bracket is published, so a very small school can show only a partial income-bracket breakdown even when its overall average net price is fully reported. Use the school's own profile page for the full income-bracket table before treating a single average as a personal cost estimate.
Colorado's 25 cheapest colleges by real net price
| # | College | Avg net price | Net price (<$30K income) | Median debt | Median earnings, 6yr | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technical College of the Rockies Delta, CO · Public | $3,796 90% of the leader · rank #1 | $2,785 | $4,750 | $38,763 | 247 |
| 2 | Pikes Peak State College Colorado Springs, CO · Public | $6,007 84% of the leader · rank #2 | $3,811 | $9,000 | $35,799 | 12,388 |
| 3 | Pickens Technical College Aurora, CO · Public | $6,600 82% of the leader · rank #3 | $6,980 | - | $36,111 | 1,025 |
| 4 | Emily Griffith Technical College Denver, CO · Public | $7,197 81% of the leader · rank #4 | $7,011 | - | $31,296 | 5,914 |
| 5 | Colorado Mountain College Glenwood Springs, CO · Public | $7,813 79% of the leader · rank #5 | $5,190 | $9,000 | $36,307 | 5,673 |
| 6 | Community College of Aurora Aurora, CO · Public | $8,656 77% of the leader · rank #6 | $6,305 | $10,500 | $38,842 | 8,684 |
| 7 | Red Rocks Community College Lakewood, CO · Public | $9,044 76% of the leader · rank #7 | $5,901 | $9,500 | $41,495 | 7,382 |
| 8 | Lamar Community College Lamar, CO · Public | $9,161 75% of the leader · rank #8 | $7,513 | $8,750 | $31,813 | 711 |
| 9 | Morgan Community College Fort Morgan, CO · Public | $9,266 75% of the leader · rank #9 | $6,391 | $8,501 | $37,293 | 1,506 |
| 10 | Community College of Denver Denver, CO · Public | $9,450 75% of the leader · rank #10 | $8,356 | $12,495 | $36,412 | 7,715 |
| 11 | Cheeks Beauty Academy Loveland, CO · Private for-profit | $9,739 74% of the leader · rank #11 | $9,080 | $7,000 | $22,467 | 40 |
| 12 | Colorado State University Pueblo Pueblo, CO · Public | $10,051 73% of the leader · rank #12 | $9,374 | $21,500 | $43,053 | 6,691 |
| 13 | Trinidad State College Trinidad, CO · Public | $10,772 71% of the leader · rank #13 | $9,366 | $8,908 | $36,025 | 1,636 |
| 14 | Otero College La Junta, CO · Public | $11,103 70% of the leader · rank #14 | $9,735 | $10,250 | $34,087 | 972 |
| 15 | Aims Community College Greeley, CO · Public | $11,463 69% of the leader · rank #15 | $10,196 | $6,844 | $39,696 | 7,529 |
| 16 | Arapahoe Community College Littleton, CO · Public | $11,571 69% of the leader · rank #16 | $8,588 | $11,884 | $43,676 | 13,978 |
| 17 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO · Public | $11,900 68% of the leader · rank #17 | $6,743 | $20,500 | $52,475 | 23,409 |
| 18 | Pueblo Community College Pueblo, CO · Public | $12,045 68% of the leader · rank #18 | $9,941 | $10,000 | $33,368 | 6,767 |
| 19 | Colorado Northwestern Community College Rangely, CO · Public | $12,131 67% of the leader · rank #19 | $8,832 | $12,000 | $39,760 | 1,256 |
| 20 | Adams State University Alamosa, CO · Public | $12,980 65% of the leader · rank #20 | $9,947 | $19,500 | $38,338 | 2,950 |
| 21 | Front Range Community College Westminster, CO · Public | $13,031 65% of the leader · rank #21 | $9,955 | $12,251 | $40,548 | 21,096 |
| 22 | Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder Boulder, CO · Private for-profit | $13,367 64% of the leader · rank #22 | $12,863 | $9,653 | $32,101 | 8,571 |
| 23 | Northeastern Junior College Sterling, CO · Public | $13,801 63% of the leader · rank #23 | $10,206 | $9,376 | $36,367 | 1,502 |
| 24 | The Salon Professional Academy-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO · Private for-profit | $14,409 61% of the leader · rank #24 | $13,555 | $6,333 | $29,698 | 85 |
| 25 | Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction, CO · Public | $15,103 59% of the leader · rank #25 | $10,792 | $22,000 | $39,223 | 8,995 |
See all 67 ranked Colorado schools →
| # | College | Avg net price | Net price (<$30K income) | Median debt | Median earnings, 6yr | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO · Public | $15,327 59% of the leader · rank #26 | $12,481 | $21,500 | $45,391 | 17,593 |
| 27 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO · Public | $15,788 58% of the leader · rank #27 | $12,065 | $20,000 | $45,766 | 11,213 |
| 28 | Avalon Institute-Aurora Aurora, CO · Private for-profit | $15,856 57% of the leader · rank #28 | $15,599 | $6,332 | $29,752 | 217 |
| 29 | Western Colorado University Gunnison, CO · Public | $16,425 56% of the leader · rank #29 | $11,490 | $20,250 | $40,037 | 4,053 |
| 30 | Concorde Career College-Aurora Aurora, CO · Private for-profit | $16,666 55% of the leader · rank #30 | $16,328 | $9,500 | $40,181 | 196 |
| 31 | Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO · Private for-profit | $16,745 55% of the leader · rank #31 | $16,474 | $29,832 | $30,406 | 28,852 |
| 32 | Empire Beauty School-Thornton Thornton, CO · Private for-profit | $16,752 55% of the leader · rank #32 | $15,641 | $10,667 | $19,174 | 104 |
| 33 | Stacey James Institute Parker, CO · Private for-profit | $17,042 54% of the leader · rank #33 | $15,457 | $6,333 | - | 68 |
| 34 | Tuana European Beauty Academy Fort Collins, CO · Private for-profit | $17,052 54% of the leader · rank #34 | $17,368 | - | - | 39 |
| 35 | Empire Beauty School-Littleton Littleton, CO · Private for-profit | $17,136 54% of the leader · rank #35 | $15,754 | $10,667 | $19,897 | 44 |
| 36 | Fort Lewis College Durango, CO · Public | $17,296 53% of the leader · rank #36 | $18,622 | $18,389 | $36,352 | 3,413 |
| 37 | University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO · Public | $17,760 52% of the leader · rank #37 | $12,695 | $20,470 | $43,756 | 9,067 |
| 38 | Empire Beauty School-Aurora Aurora, CO · Private for-profit | $18,186 51% of the leader · rank #38 | $17,391 | $10,667 | $19,897 | 98 |
| 39 | Regis University Denver, CO · Private nonprofit | $18,397 50% of the leader · rank #39 | $13,713 | $25,000 | $64,557 | 4,631 |
| 40 | Intellitec College-Grand Junction Grand Junction, CO · Private for-profit | $19,216 48% of the leader · rank #40 | $18,505 | $10,769 | $29,621 | 1,160 |
| 41 | Montessori Education Center of the Rockies Denver, CO · Private nonprofit | $19,557 47% of the leader · rank #41 | $19,557 | - | $24,368 | 31 |
| 42 | Apex College of Veterinary Technology Colorado Springs, CO · Private for-profit | $20,030 46% of the leader · rank #42 | $20,030 | - | - | 30 |
| 43 | Aveda Institute-Denver Denver, CO · Private for-profit | $20,167 46% of the leader · rank #43 | $17,523 | $9,829 | $31,196 | 316 |
| 44 | International Salon and Spa Academy Colorado Springs, CO · Private for-profit | $20,725 44% of the leader · rank #44 | $20,003 | $6,333 | $23,478 | 307 |
| 45 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO · Public | $21,279 43% of the leader · rank #45 | $13,259 | $20,000 | $49,748 | 33,500 |
| 46 | Paul Mitchell the School-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO · Private for-profit | $22,022 41% of the leader · rank #46 | $22,138 | $7,667 | $24,044 | 169 |
| 47 | Pima Medical Institute-Denver Denver, CO · Private for-profit | $22,034 41% of the leader · rank #47 | $22,000 | $9,500 | $37,302 | 764 |
| 48 | Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology Denver, CO · Private for-profit | $22,905 38% of the leader · rank #48 | $20,470 | $20,372 | $37,156 | 161 |
| 49 | Pima Medical Institute-Aurora Aurora, CO · Private for-profit | $23,255 37% of the leader · rank #49 | $22,993 | $8,521 | $36,397 | 290 |
| 50 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO · Public | $25,346 32% of the leader · rank #50 | $14,231 | $19,500 | $54,939 | 41,432 |
| 51 | Paul Mitchell the School-Denver Lakewood, CO · Private for-profit | $25,711 31% of the leader · rank #51 | $22,735 | $9,783 | $28,859 | 231 |
| 52 | Tigi Hairdressing Academy-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO · Private for-profit | $25,777 31% of the leader · rank #52 | $25,777 | $11,008 | $24,891 | 129 |
| 53 | Colorado School of Trades Lakewood, CO · Private for-profit | $26,083 30% of the leader · rank #53 | $26,083 | $20,000 | $44,718 | 108 |
| 54 | Pima Medical Institute-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO · Private for-profit | $26,848 28% of the leader · rank #54 | $26,641 | $9,500 | $37,302 | 339 |
| 55 | Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO · Public | $28,690 23% of the leader · rank #55 | $16,849 | $23,000 | $82,950 | 7,599 |
| 56 | Naropa University Boulder, CO · Private nonprofit | $29,179 21% of the leader · rank #56 | $21,457 | $24,712 | $21,841 | 1,117 |
| 57 | Colorado Christian University Lakewood, CO · Private nonprofit | $29,500 21% of the leader · rank #57 | $26,010 | $28,312 | $41,623 | 8,254 |
| 58 | Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology Broomfield, CO · Private for-profit | $30,065 19% of the leader · rank #58 | $29,609 | $19,188 | $55,728 | 321 |
| 59 | Colorado Media School Chicagp, CO · Private for-profit | $30,514 18% of the leader · rank #59 | $29,931 | $9,500 | $28,853 | 45 |
| 60 | Intellitec College-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO · Private for-profit | $30,716 17% of the leader · rank #60 | $30,128 | $11,667 | $36,848 | 816 |
| 61 | Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design Lakewood, CO · Private for-profit | $32,363 13% of the leader · rank #61 | $29,847 | $31,000 | $30,280 | 1,888 |
| 62 | Lincoln College of Technology-Denver Denver, CO · Private for-profit | $32,423 13% of the leader · rank #62 | $31,402 | $11,730 | $42,500 | 1,104 |
| 63 | Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO · Private nonprofit | $33,375 10% of the leader · rank #63 | $9,217 | $18,257 | $47,611 | 2,173 |
| 64 | IBMC College Fort Collins, CO · Private for-profit | $34,590 7% of the leader · rank #64 | $28,848 | $8,750 | $31,395 | 306 |
| 65 | Dr. Ida Rolf Institute Boulder, CO · Private nonprofit | $35,373 5% of the leader · rank #65 | - | - | $18,568 | 24 |
| 66 | University of Denver Denver, CO · Private nonprofit | $36,131 4% of the leader · rank #66 | $20,097 | $21,844 | $57,118 | 13,387 |
| 67 | Arizona College of Nursing-Aurora Aurora, CO · Private for-profit | $37,153 4% of the leader · rank #67 | $36,913 | $9,500 | $32,840 | 212 |
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. 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.