National university
#7 Best colleges in ColoradoColorado State University-Fort Collins
Fort Collins, CO · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $21,279 a year
Median debt at graduation: $20,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#237 of 950
- Best colleges for social work in America#152 of 605
In Colorado
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Colorado#6 of 26
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Colorado#3 of 12
- Best colleges for art and design in Colorado#4 of 15
- Best colleges in Colorado#7 of 26
- Best colleges for education in Colorado#5 of 18
- Best colleges for business in Colorado#5 of 17
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.67%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.86%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.17 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$16,781
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.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $31,642 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.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 25,834 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 45% · Women 55% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 24% |
| First-year students from another state Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS) | 34% |
| Total students | 33,500 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $21,279 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $31,642 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $20,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 67% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 64% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 61% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 71% |
| First-year retention | 86% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $60,543 |
| Admission rate | 89% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | $50 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 21% |
Value: Very good · Top 34% (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).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computing and information science | |
| Information science | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Fire science | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | |
| Business administration | |
| Geology and earth science | |
| Chemistry | |
| Biochemistry | |
| Economics | |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | |
| Political science | |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services | |
| Design | |
| Forestry | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Interior Architecture | |
| Communication studies | |
| Biology | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Nutrition Sciences | |
| Agricultural business | |
| Soil Sciences | |
| Sociology | |
| Apparel and Textiles | |
| Biotechnology | |
| Linguistics | |
| Social work | |
| Ecology and evolutionary biology | |
| Psychology | |
| Animal Sciences | |
| Family and human development | |
| Journalism | |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | |
| History | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Global studies | |
| English | |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | |
| Anthropology | |
| Plant Sciences | |
| Fine arts | |
| Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services | |
| Music | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Biomedical/Medical Engineering, Computer engineering, Dance, Data Science, Engineering Science, Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Ethnic and gender studies, Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services, Food Science and Technology, Geography, Landscape Architecture, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Physics, Public health, Secondary education, Statistics, Teacher education.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Biology | |
| Business | |
| Engineering | |
| Social sciences | |
| Psychology |
Campus life
| Setting | City |
|---|---|
| Part-time undergraduates | 10% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 10% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $16,817 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Mountain West Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 17 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 74%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $20,795Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Dorm space | For about 32% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Cheyenne Regional Jerry Olson Field (CYS)About 43 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 170,2292020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | DenverAbout 57 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 32°F1991–2020 normal, from FT COLLINS, CO US, about 0 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 73°F1991–2020 normal, from FT COLLINS, CO US, about 0 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.67 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.12 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.29 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.26 | 0.15 |
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.
Questions families ask
- What is Colorado State University-Fort Collins’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 32% of rated colleges. 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 State University-Fort Collins cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $21,279 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 State University-Fort Collins?
- Colorado State University-Fort Collins admitted 89% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Colorado State University-Fort Collins’s graduates do?
- 67% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $60,543; the median federal debt at graduation is $20,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 126818
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
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