2021 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in the Rocky Mountains Region
Choosing which college to attend may be one of the most important decisions in your life. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Rocky Mountains Region Schools For The Money For Those With No Aid ranking.
Our analysis looked at 43 schools to determine which ones were the best for overall value for the money with no aid in the Rocky Mountains Region. It's important to note that this isn't just a listing of colleges and universities with the lowest sticker price. Instead, this ranking identifies schools that offer a high quality educational experience at a lower-than-expected price. Thus, one college may rank better than another, but the second school could have a lower average cost.
Get more details on our ranking methodology.
Our average cost calculation adds up all expenses, such as tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and other expenses. So it is an approximation of how much you will have to pay out-of-pocket each year on average.
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Customizing Your List
Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as overall quality or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head!
Top Colleges for the Money (Without Aid) in the Rocky Mountains Region
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Brigham Young University - Provo to be the best school for overall value for the money with no aid in the Rocky Mountains Region in this year’s ranking. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 7,007 students in 2018-2019.
At BYU, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 5.2 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $19,236 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the BYU is $100,797. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. BYU also took the #2 spot in our Best Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region rankings.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wyoming. It ranked #2 on our 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region list. U of Wyoming is located in Laramie, Wyoming and has a fairly large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 2,387 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average student at U of Wyoming graduates in less than 4.6 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $27,881 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the U of Wyoming is $129,368. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. In addition to its great value ranking, U of Wyoming is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Salish Kootenai College. The school came in at #3 in the Rocky Mountains Region on this year’s best value ranking. SKC is located in Pablo, Montana and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 49 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average student at SKC graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $21,056 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from SKC be around $88,014. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
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Out of the 43 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Utah landed the #4 spot on the list. U of U is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 5,236 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at U of U about 4.7 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $38,673 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the U of U is $182,150. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. U of U also took the #5 spot in our Best Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region rankings.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. The school came in at #5 in the Rocky Mountains Region on this year’s best value ranking. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Rexburg, Idaho, and it awarded 5,537 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 5.0 years for the average student at BYU - I to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $12,448. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from BYU - I is about $61,742. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Colorado State University - Fort Collins landed the #6 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, the large public school handed out 5,498 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Colorado State is 4.4 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $41,222 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Colorado State is $181,789. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The low student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Colorado State also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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University of Idaho ranked #7 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in Moscow, Idaho, the fairly large public school awarded 1,848 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
At Idaho, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $36,524 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Idaho be around $164,723. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Idaho also is in the top 20% of our Best Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking.
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Utah State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. USU is a large public school situated in Logan, Utah. It awarded 4,531 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at USU about 4.8 years to graduate, and it costs students who receive no aid about $31,484 per year to attend the school. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from USU be around $152,383. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Neumont College of Computer Science did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #9. Neumont College of Computer Science is a small private for-profit school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 83 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Neumont graduates in less than 4.1 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $38,294 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Neumont be around $158,537. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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With a ranking of #10, Southern Utah University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Rocky Mountains Region list. This fairly large public school is located in Cedar City, Utah, and it awarded 1,203 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Southern Utah University is 4.6 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $30,945 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Southern Utah University be around $143,275. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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With a ranking of #11, Montana Tech of the University of Montana did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Montana Tech is a small public school situated in Butte, Montana. It awarded 453 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Montana Tech, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.8 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $33,913 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Montana Tech is $161,087. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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With a ranking of #12, University of Northern Colorado did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Rocky Mountains Region list. University of Northern Colorado is a public institution located in Greeley, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,026 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.5 years for the average student at University of Northern Colorado to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $34,313 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from University of Northern Colorado is $153,722. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Colorado School of Mines did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #13. Colorado School of Mines is a medium-sized public school located in Golden, Colorado that handed out 1,108 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Mines about 4.3 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $53,942 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Mines is about $231,951. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. Mines not only placed well in our value rankings, but it is also #3 on our Best Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
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With a ranking of #14, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in Denver, Colorado, the large public school awarded 2,684 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at CU Anschutz is 4.7 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $41,691 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the CU Anschutz is $193,863. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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The University of Montana - Western came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in Dillon, Montana, the small public school awarded 264 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at The University of Montana - Western about 4.6 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $26,361 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from The University of Montana - Western is $120,470. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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University of Colorado Boulder ranked #16 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Rocky Mountains Region list. University of Colorado Boulder is a large public school located in Boulder, Colorado that handed out 6,744 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at CU - Boulder to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $51,060 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from CU - Boulder is $224,153. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CU - Boulder also is in the top 15% of our Best Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking.
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The College of Idaho did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #17. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Caldwell, Idaho, and it awarded 195 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at C of I is 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $45,804. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from C of I be around $191,919. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
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Lewis - Clark State College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in Lewiston, Idaho, the small public school awarded 626 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Lewis - Clark State College about 4.4 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $28,110 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Lewis - Clark State College is $123,122. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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With a ranking of #19, Montana State University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Rocky Mountains Region list. This fairly large public school is located in Bozeman, Montana, and it awarded 2,551 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at MSU Bozeman graduates in less than 4.7 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $38,535 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from MSU Bozeman is $179,188. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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University of Colorado at Colorado Springs ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Rocky Mountains Region list. UCCS is a public institution located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,948 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at UCCS graduates in less than 4.6 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $35,885. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from UCCS is $163,994. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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With a ranking of #21, Montana State University - Northern did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Montana State University - Northern is a small public school situated in Havre, Montana. It awarded 141 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Montana State University - Northern graduates in less than 4.5 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $26,373. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Montana State University - Northern is $118,678. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Western Colorado University landed the #22 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Gunnison, Colorado is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 463 students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Western about 4.6 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $33,571. This means that the average student pays around $153,755 to get a bachelor’s degree from Western. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Weber State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in the Rocky Mountains Region list. This large public school is located in Ogden, Utah, and it awarded 2,451 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.9 years for the average student at WSU to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $28,037 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from WSU be around $137,662. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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With a ranking of #24, Westminster College Utah did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 540 students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at Westminster College Salt Lake to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $50,276 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $216,187 to get a bachelor’s degree from Westminster College Salt Lake. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. In addition to its great value ranking, Westminster College Salt Lake is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
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Idaho State University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Pocatello, Idaho, the fairly large public school awarded 1,286 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at ISU is 4.7 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $33,522 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from ISU is $158,559. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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