2026 Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools in Colorado
[Chemical Engineering](/majors/engineering/chemical-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for chemical engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools in Colorado
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the chemical engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools
Leading the list is Colorado State University Fort Collins, our #1 best value for chemical engineering in Colorado. Set in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,373 in tuition and fees, compared with $35,061 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for chemical engineering graduates is $21,240. Soon after graduation, chemical engineering degree recipients from Colorado State University Fort Collins generally make around $62,468. That is a strong return on a $21,240 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in chemical engineering will find it at University Of Colorado Boulder, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Boulder, University Of Colorado Boulder is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $15,214, while out-of-state students pay about $42,970. Chemical Engineering graduates carry a median of $24,500 in student loans. Early-career chemical engineering graduates make about $70,359. Set against $24,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Colorado School Of Mines earned it the #3 place for chemical engineering. Set in the suburb of Golden, Colorado School Of Mines is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $21,914 in tuition and fees, compared with $45,824 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the chemical engineering program here. Chemical Engineering graduates of Colorado School Of Mines earn a median of $68,318 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Colorado School Of Mines admits about 61% of applicants.
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
