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Colorado Mesa University: Tomlinson Library
Photo: Carlangasbal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Regional college

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, CO · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $15,103 a year

Median debt at graduation: $22,000 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.41%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.79%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,055 · ACT 21
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.18 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,538

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$10,792
$30,001–$48,000$11,920
$48,001–$75,000$14,692
$75,001–$110,000$16,945
Over $110,000$20,606

Full cost of attendance before aid: $24,046 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
8,711
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 45% · Women 55%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
39%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
14%
Total students8,995
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$15,103
Cost of attendance (per year)$24,046
Median federal debt at graduation$22,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
41%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
29%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
28%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
49%
First-year retention79%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$45,823
Admission rate82%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$40
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $986 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants28%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 930–1160ACT 18–24
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1055
SAT reading & writing480–590
SAT math450–570
ACT composite18–24
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Good · Top 45% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Computing and information science$96,708
Nursing$81,319
Allied health$74,932
Mechanical engineering technology$72,815
Accounting$71,577
Business administration$69,297
Criminal justice$58,708
Business (general)$57,897
Communication studies$54,717
Psychology$54,321
Social work$50,441
Natural resources and conservation$50,384
Kinesiology and exercise science$49,348
Biology$45,737
Liberal arts$44,651
English$43,733
Sociology$42,701
Fine arts$32,144

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Chemistry, Construction Engineering Technology/Technician, Dance, Design, Family and human development, Geology and earth science, Graphic communications, History, Hospitality management, Interdisciplinary studies, Management information systems, Mathematics, Music, Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, Physics, Political science, Romance languages, Secondary education, Social sciences, Theatre.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business23%
Health professions14%
Parks, recreation and fitness11%
Psychology7%
Criminal justice and security6%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates15%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older15%
On-campus room and board (per year)$12,209
SportsNCAA Division II · Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member18 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 7%IPEDS, 2023–24
Disability servicesVisit the office’s pageThe college’s own page
Faculty who are full-time60%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$6,508IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 31% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceGrand Junction Regional Airport (GJT)About 3 miles away · about 10 minutes by car
Town population68,142Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreDenverAbout 202 miles away · about 4 hours 50 minutes by car
Typical weather29°F in January · 80°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Grand Junction Wfo, CO, about 3 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.100.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.030.04
Burglary0.000.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Colorado Mesa University’s Compass Score?
Solid (grade C+). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Colorado Mesa University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $15,103 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Colorado Mesa University?
Colorado Mesa University admitted 82% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Colorado Mesa University’s graduates do?
41% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $45,823; the median federal debt at graduation is $22,000.

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