What are the Best Colleges and Universities in Colorado?
Of the dozens of colleges, universities, and tech schools throughout Colorado, those below are the best in reputation, affordability, student retention (a reflection of student satisfaction), and return on investment (that is, how much a student makes after graduation). We extensively explored these key data points, among others, from schools across the state to arrive at a definitive list of Colorado's best colleges and universities. strongest, most affordable, and most renowned universities and colleges. Our figures and information come from the university and colleges' websites, PayScale, the Colorado Department of Higher Education, and nationally recognized U.S. News & World Report and The National Center for Education Statistics.
Colorado is home to beautiful, wild landscapes, innumerable opportunities to explore and play, and a notably strong higher education scene.
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In addition to the reputable University of Colorado System, which holds many awards and rankings, Colorado offers its students many amazing professional schools, small colleges, and elite research universities to choose among.
And more and more students are making those choices: Colorado high school students are part of a huge, state-wide upward swing in academic success and college enrollment. But it's not just that numbers are growing; college students are increasingly diverse, as every ethnic group has seen higher enrollment numbers in the last few years, and they are increasingly successful: the mean grade point averageof first-year college students is climbing as well.
Part of Colorado's success in getting students into college classrooms is due to their many pathway programs, which are in place to ensure that students have access to affordable, efficient education, regardless of financial or logistical circumstances. Through these programs students are able to acquire course credit for past professional experience or test out of certain classes, and therefore graduate earlier and with less expense. See the Best Online Colleges in Colorado for some great examples of the pathway programs.
Top 10 Best Colleges in Colorado
See our rankings methodology page.
