Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in Colorado

Colleges that compete in NCAA Division I athletics, ranked by Compass Score.

Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in Colorado5 schools

5 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score.

How this list is made

Schools in Colorado.
Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
Competes in NCAA Division I (the school's athletics association, from federal and association data).
Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.

Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.

School	Net price a year	Median debt	Earnings 10 years out	Graduation rate
United States Air Force Academy	—	—	—	88%
University of Denver	About $36,000	$21,844	$71,155	76%
University of Colorado Boulder	About $25,000	$19,500	$69,738	74%
Colorado State University-Fort Collins	About $21,000	$20,000	$60,543	67%
University of Northern Colorado	About $18,000	$20,470	$52,231	51%

Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.