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Aerial view of Metropolitan State University of Denver
Aerial imagery: U.S. Geological Survey (public domain). USGS

Regional university

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $15,327 a year

Median debt at graduation: $21,500 (all students)

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

Academic Excellence

C+Academic Excellence: C+ (grade C+): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Solid
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.32%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.63%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,019 · ACT 21.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.14 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$8,036

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$12,481
$30,001–$48,000$12,436
$48,001–$75,000$14,927
$75,001–$110,000$19,539
Over $110,000$23,822

Full cost of attendance before aid: $24,622 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)
16,430
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
40%
First-year students from another state
Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS)
3%
Total students17,593
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$15,327
Cost of attendance (per year)$24,622
Median federal debt at graduation$21,500
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
32%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)
36%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)
35%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard)
48%
First-year retention63%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$52,093
Admission rate99%
Application fee
Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS)
No application fee
Students receiving Pell grants36%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 880–1130ACT 17–26
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1019
SAT reading & writing450–570
SAT math430–560
ACT composite17–26
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Very good · Top 32% (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
Computer science$111,187
Electrical engineering technology$100,358
Mechanical engineering technology$98,267
Management information systems$91,399
Nursing$86,259
Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians$86,131
Economics$80,907
Finance$77,596
Chemistry$76,759
Accounting$73,698
Air Transportation$72,846
Geography$66,429
Business administration$65,387
Mathematics$65,179
Marketing$64,069
Natural resources and conservation$63,175
Health administration$62,250
Design$61,654
Political science$60,639
Nutrition Sciences$60,395
Interdisciplinary studies$59,502
Writing and rhetoric$58,918
Biology$57,920
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$57,810
Hospitality management$57,312
Kinesiology and exercise science$57,096
Biochemistry$57,065
Criminal justice$56,564
Social work$55,915
Human services$54,896
Anthropology$53,125
Ethnic and gender studies$52,747
Allied health$52,735
Sociology$52,414
English$51,955
Special education$51,786
Linguistics$50,926
Public relations$50,478
Psychology$50,326
Teacher education$49,025
Experimental psychology$48,655
History$48,518
Secondary education$47,666
Journalism$47,460
Speech-language pathology$46,535
Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems$45,766
Theatre$42,870
Fine arts$42,490
Music$38,957

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Behavioral Sciences, Broadcasting, Communications Technologies/Technicians, Computer engineering, Construction Management, Dance, Entrepreneurship, Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Fire science, General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations, Geology and earth science, Human resources, Industrial technology, Information technology, Liberal arts, Management science, Medical Illustration and Informatics, Other communication, journalism, and related programs, Other health professions and related clinical sciences, Philosophy, Physics, Public health, Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations, Statistics, Systems Engineering.

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
Business20%
Psychology11%
Health professions7%
Biology5%
Computer and information sciences5%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates44%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older29%
SportsNCAA Division II · Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
ROTCArmy · Air Force
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member14 to 1
Faculty who are full-time100%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Endowment per student$2,036Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS)
Nearest airport with scheduled flightsRocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC)About 13 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports)
Town population718,8772020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau)
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreDenverAbout 7 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau)
Average temperature in January35°F1991–2020 normal, from DENVER WATER DEPT, CO US, about 1 miles away (NOAA)
Average temperature in July77°F1991–2020 normal, from DENVER WATER DEPT, CO US, about 1 miles away (NOAA)

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
Rape0.160.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.430.04
Burglary0.540.08
Motor vehicle theft2.760.15

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 Metropolitan State University of Denver’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 Metropolitan State University of Denver cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $15,327 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 Metropolitan State University of Denver?
Metropolitan State University of Denver admitted 99% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Metropolitan State University of Denver’s graduates do?
32% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $52,093; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,500.

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