Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Colorado

Colleges ranked by how many years of extra earnings, above a high school graduate’s, cover four years of net price.

Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Colorado6 schools

6 schools qualify, ranked by payback years.

How this list is made

Schools in Colorado.
Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
Academic Excellence grade B+ or better (the top 35% of rated colleges).
Has median earnings ten years after enrolling and a net price from federal data (College Scorecard), and those earnings are above a high school graduate’s ($48,360 a year: median weekly earnings of $930 for full-time workers with a high school diploma, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024).
Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
Payback years = four years of net price ÷ (earnings − a high school graduate’s earnings). Ordered by payback years, fewest first. A simple estimate: it leaves out interest, taxes and earnings growth.

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

School	Net price a year	Median debt	Earnings 10 years out	Graduation rate
Colorado School of Mines	$28,690	$23,000	$97,335	82%
Regis University	$18,397	$25,000	$72,105	61%
University of Colorado Boulder	$25,346	$19,500	$69,738	74%
University of Denver	$36,131	$21,844	$71,155	76%
Colorado State University-Fort Collins	$21,279	$20,000	$60,543	67%
Colorado College	$33,375	$18,257	$65,222	88%

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