2021 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in Colorado
Choosing which college to attend may be one of the most important decisions in your life. College Factual has developed its Best Colorado Schools For The Money For Those With No Aid ranking as one tool you can use to help make this decision.
We analyzed 17 colleges and universities to determine which were the best for overall value for the money with no aid in Colorado. 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 Colorado
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Colorado State University - Fort Collins to be the best school for overall value for the money with no aid in Colorado in this year’s ranking. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, the large public school handed out 5,498 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Colorado State about 4.4 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $26,935 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State is about $118,783. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Colorado State also took the #5 spot in our Best Colleges in Colorado rankings.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Colorado Boulder. The school came in at #2 in Colorado on this year’s best value ranking. CU - Boulder is a public institution located in Boulder, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6,744 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at CU - Boulder graduates in less than 4.4 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $31,034. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from CU - Boulder is about $136,239. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. CU - Boulder not only placed well in our value rankings, but it is also #4 on our Best Colleges in Colorado list.
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A rank of #3 on our Best Colleges for the Money in Colorado list means Colorado School of Mines is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Mines is a public institution located in Golden, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,108 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Mines about 4.3 years to graduate, and it costs students who receive no aid about $36,652 per year to attend the school. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Mines is about $157,604. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Mines also took the #2 spot in our Best Colleges in Colorado rankings.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2021 Best Value Colleges in Colorado list. CU Anschutz is a public institution located in Denver, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,684 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at CU Anschutz graduates in less than 4.7 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $30,154. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from CU Anschutz is about $140,216. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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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Out of the 17 schools in Colorado that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Colorado landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Greeley, Colorado, the fairly large public school awarded 2,026 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 University of Northern Colorado is 4.5 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $25,459. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from University of Northern Colorado is about $114,056. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Western Colorado University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Colorado ranking. This small public school is located in Gunnison, Colorado, and it awarded 463 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Western graduates in less than 4.6 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $24,956 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $114,298 to get a bachelor’s degree from Western. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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University of Colorado at Colorado Springs came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Colorado ranking. This fairly large public school is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and it awarded 1,948 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at UCCS is 4.6 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $28,108. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UCCS is $128,454. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Fort Lewis College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Colorado ranking, coming in at #8. FLC is located in Durango, Colorado and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 667 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes the average student at FLC about 4.5 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $25,374 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from FLC is about $113,929. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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With a ranking of #9, Adams State University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Colorado list. This small public school is located in Alamosa, Colorado, and it awarded 349 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.5 years for the average student at Adams State to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $22,999. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Adams State is $104,185. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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With a ranking of #10, Colorado College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Colorado list. Colorado Springs, Colorado is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 581 students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at Colorado College to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $74,760 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Colorado College be around $304,273. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Colorado College also made our Best Colleges in Colorado list, coming in at #1.
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University of Denver came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Colorado ranking. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 1,626 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At U of Denver, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.1 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $70,092 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $290,181 to get a bachelor’s degree from U of Denver. 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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, U of Denver is ranked #3 for overall quality in Colorado.
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Colorado State University - Pueblo did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Colorado ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Pueblo, Colorado, the medium-sized public school handed out 749 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Colorado State University - Pueblo about 4.6 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $25,817. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University - Pueblo be around $117,726. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Colorado Mesa University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Colorado ranking. Colorado Mesa University is a medium-sized public school located in Grand Junction, Colorado that handed out 1,189 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Colorado Mesa is 4.7 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $24,488. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Colorado Mesa is $114,114. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Regis University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Colorado list. Regis U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Denver, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 952 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Regis U, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.3 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $55,508 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Regis U is about $237,019. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Colorado Christian University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Colorado ranking. Located in Lakewood, Colorado, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 730 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at CCU to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $37,827 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from CCU is $156,982. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Johnson & Wales University - Denver came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Colorado ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 174 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at JWU Denver to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $49,405 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the JWU Denver is $206,019. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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With a ranking of #17, Naropa University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Colorado list. Naropa is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boulder, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 103 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Naropa graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $50,423 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Naropa is $211,777. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 17 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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