Best small colleges in Colorado
Colleges with fewer than 2,000 undergraduates, ranked by Compass Score.
Best small colleges in Colorado5 schools
5 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score.
How this list is made
- Schools in Colorado.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Fewer than 2,000 undergraduate students (federal enrollment).
- 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.
- 1
- 2
Concorde Career College-Aurora
Aurora, CO · Private for-profitTop 6% for low debt
- 196 undergraduates
- 64% graduate
- 3
- 4
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Lakewood, CO · Private for-profit#24 in Colorado
- 1,888 undergraduates
- 32% graduate
- 5
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trinidad State College | About $11,000 | $8,908 | $36,475 | 55% |
| Concorde Career College-Aurora | About $17,000 | $9,500 | $42,456 | 64% |
| Adams State University | About $13,000 | $19,500 | $44,372 | 39% |
| Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design | About $32,000 | $31,000 | $42,958 | 32% |
| Naropa University | About $29,000 | $24,712 | $28,720 | 37% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- Alabama 10
- Arizona 8
- Arkansas 13
- California 63
- Connecticut 10
- Florida 27
- Georgia 24
- Idaho 3
- Illinois 25
- Indiana 20
- Iowa 23
- Kansas 18
- Kentucky 18
- Louisiana 8
- Maine 11
- Maryland 13
- Massachusetts 31
- Michigan 23
- Minnesota 19
- Mississippi 8
- Missouri 31
- Montana 7
- Nebraska 12
- New Hampshire 7
- New Jersey 18
- New Mexico 7
- New York 55
- North Carolina 34
- North Dakota 4
- Ohio 58
- Oklahoma 11
- Oregon 11
- Pennsylvania 69
- Puerto Rico 31
- South Carolina 19
- South Dakota 5
- Tennessee 24
- Texas 31
- Utah 7
- Vermont 4
- Virginia 30
- Washington 12
- West Virginia 12
- Wisconsin 15