2026 Best Value History Schools in Colorado
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the history degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value History Schools
For return on investment in history, no school beat Colorado State University Pueblo this year. Set in the city of Pueblo, Colorado State University Pueblo is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,720 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,944. Students borrow a median of $21,000 to complete the history program here. History graduates of Colorado State University Pueblo earn a median of $32,603 early in their careers. Set against $21,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Colorado State University Pueblo admits about 95% of applicants.
Metropolitan State College Of Denver came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value history schools. Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a very large public school located in the city of Denver. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,124, compared with $30,684 for out-of-state students. History graduates carry a median of $34,125 in student loans. History graduates of Metropolitan State College Of Denver earn a median of $42,785 early in their careers. Set against $34,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in history will find it at University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Colorado Springs, University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,906 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $25,039. Students borrow a median of $21,250 to complete the history program here. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs generally make around $38,276. Set against $21,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs admits about 97% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Mesa State College one of the best values for history. Mesa State College is a large public school located in the city of Grand Junction. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,927, while out-of-state students pay about $25,124. History graduates carry a median of $22,310 in student loans. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from Mesa State College generally make around $43,617. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in history will find it at University Of Northern Colorado, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Greeley, University Of Northern Colorado is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,901, compared with $26,979 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for history graduates is $23,804. Early-career history graduates make about $35,403. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Northern Colorado admits about 86% of applicants.
University Of Colorado Denver came in at #6 for value in history this year. Located in the city of Denver, University Of Colorado Denver is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,383, compared with $29,391 for out-of-state students. History graduates carry a median of $23,750 in student loans. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from University Of Colorado Denver generally make around $38,627. That is a strong return on a $23,750 median debt. The acceptance rate is 75%.
Colorado State University Fort Collins came in at #7 for value in history this year. Set in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,373, with out-of-state students paying around $35,061. Students borrow a median of $24,152 to complete the history program here. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from Colorado State University Fort Collins generally make around $39,258. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Colorado State University Fort Collins admits about 88% of applicants.
University Of Colorado Boulder came in at #8 for value in history this year. University Of Colorado Boulder is a very large public school located in the city of Boulder. Students from in state pay about $15,214 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $42,970. Typical student debt for history graduates is $17,905. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from University Of Colorado Boulder generally make around $37,044. Set against $17,905 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Colorado College placed #9 among the best values for history. Located in the city of Colorado Springs, Colorado College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $70,734. Students borrow a median of $17,921 to complete the history program here. Early-career history graduates make about $37,342. Set against $17,921 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Colorado College admits about 18% of applicants.
University Of Denver earned the #10 position for value in history this year. University Of Denver is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Denver. In-state tuition and fees average $61,398. Typical student debt for history graduates is $22,534. History graduates of University Of Denver earn a median of $36,774 early in their careers. Set against $22,534 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
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 · 24 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
[History](/majors/history/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong history education at a price that pays off.
