College Compass GuideTrue north for every college search.

Every accredited U.S. college

Colleges

Every accredited four-year college, rated on Academic Excellence and Value (what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and student debt), all from federal data.

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Compass Score sorts by outcomes, students and cost together. The other sorts order every college by a different measure.
Ratings
Compass ScoreCompass Score: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges from federal data: outcomes (40%), entering students (40%), cost (15%) and teaching (5%). Choose the lowest grade to show.
ValueValue: what families pay after aid, graduation rate, earnings and debt, from federal data.
Academic ExcellenceAcademic Excellence: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges, from federal data on graduation, retention, test scores, faculty ratio, and spending. It never uses rankings or surveys.
Only Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only the eight Ivy League universities.
Location1
Distance (miles)
A broad region of the country, as the guide groups the states. Territories are listed separately.
School
Type of college, as college guides group them (from the federal Carnegie Classification): national universities offer a full range of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs and do research; liberal arts colleges focus on undergraduates in the arts and sciences; regional universities mostly offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees; regional colleges mostly offer bachelor’s degrees in many fields; specialized schools focus on one field, such as health, art or business.
Public or privatePublic: run by a state or local government. Private: nonprofit or for-profit.
Total enrollment: small is under 2,000 students, medium 2,000 to 9,999, large 10,000 to 24,999, and very large 25,000 or more.
Net price: what a typical student pays per year after grants and scholarships, from the federal College Scorecard.
Coed: men and women together. Single-sex: all-male or all-female.
Campus life
College sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.
Where the campus is, from federal data: in a city, a suburb, a town, or a rural area.
The college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).
The college offers study abroad (federal data).
Admissions and outcomes
How many applicants are admitted (federal data). Most: 65% or more. Selective: 25% to 64%. Highly selective: under 25%.
Your SAT or ACT, to sort colleges Target, Likely and Reach. Signed in, it is kept on your account (private to you); otherwise only in this browser.
Reach, Target or LikelyA rough guide from admitted students' scores and admission rates, not a prediction. Target: your score is in the college's middle range. Likely: above it, or the college admits most applicants. Reach: below it, or the college admits fewer than 1 in 5.
Small classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
Strong outcomes: 75% or more of students graduate (federal data).
Major
Colleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.
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RecommendedOnly Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.Honor RollOnly Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.ValueOnly colleges with a Value score of 85 or higher (grade A), from federal data.AcademicsOnly schools with an Academic Excellence grade of A or better (the top 10% of rated colleges), from federal data.Ivy LeagueOnly the eight Ivy League universities.Clear
Division I sportsCollege sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.ROTCThe college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).Study abroadThe college offers study abroad (federal data).NursingColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.EngineeringColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.Under $20kNet price under $20,000 a year: what a typical student pays after grants and scholarships (federal data).Small classesSmall classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
State: ColoradoClear all

36 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 2%

    United States Air Force Academy

    #1 in Colorado
    USAF Academy, CO · Public · 4-year · 4,124 students

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value not rated yetAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 5%

    Colorado College

    Exceptional: Compass grade A
    Colorado Springs, CO · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,173 students

    $33,375 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%

    Colorado School of Mines

    Top 3% for earnings
    Golden, CO · Public · 4-year · 7,599 students

    $28,690 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 13%

    University of Denver

    #4 in Colorado
    Denver, CO · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 13,387 students

    $36,131 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 14%

    University of Colorado Boulder

    Excellent: Compass grade A-
    Boulder, CO · Public · 4-year · 41,432 students

    $25,346 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 25%

    Colorado Christian University

    #6 in Colorado
    Lakewood, CO · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 8,254 students

    $29,500 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 32%

    Colorado State University-Fort Collins

    #7 in Colorado
    Fort Collins, CO · Public · 4-year · 33,500 students

    $21,279 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 33%

    Trinidad State College

    Top 5% for low debt
    Trinidad, CO · Public · 4-year · 1,636 students

    $10,772 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 34%

    Front Range Community College

    Top 13% for low debt
    Westminster, CO · Public · 4-year · 21,096 students

    $13,031 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 37%

    Regis University

    Top 13% for earnings
    Denver, CO · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 4,631 students

    $18,397 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 39%

    Concorde Career College-Aurora

    Top 6% for low debt
    Aurora, CO · Private for-profit · 4-year · 196 students

    $16,666 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    Aims Community College

    Top 3% for low debt
    Greeley, CO · Public · 4-year · 7,529 students

    $11,463 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 50%

    Western Colorado University

    #13 in Colorado
    Gunnison, CO · Public · 4-year · 4,053 students

    $16,425 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Colorado Mountain College

    Top 5% for low debt
    Glenwood Springs, CO · Public · 4-year · 5,673 students

    $7,813 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreGood

    University of Northern Colorado

    #15 in Colorado
    Greeley, CO · Public · 4-year · 9,067 students

    $17,760 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

    Top 20% for earnings
    Denver, CO · Public · 4-year · 23,409 students

    $11,900 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    University of Colorado Colorado Springs

    #17 in Colorado
    Colorado Springs, CO · Public · 4-year · 11,213 students

    $15,788 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Pueblo Community College

    Top 8% for low debt
    Pueblo, CO · Public · 4-year · 6,767 students

    $12,045 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Fort Lewis College

    #19 in Colorado
    Durango, CO · Public · 4-year · 3,413 students

    $17,296 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Colorado Mesa University

    #20 in Colorado
    Grand Junction, CO · Public · 4-year · 8,995 students

    $15,103 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Colorado State University Pueblo

    Top 15% for low net price
    Pueblo, CO · Public · 4-year · 6,691 students

    $10,051 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Adams State University

    Top 25% for low net price
    Alamosa, CO · Public · 4-year · 2,950 students

    $12,980 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Metropolitan State University of Denver

    #23 in Colorado
    Denver, CO · Public · 4-year · 17,593 students

    $15,327 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design

    #24 in Colorado
    Lakewood, CO · Private for-profit · 4-year · 1,888 students

    $32,363 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Naropa University

    #25 in Colorado
    Boulder, CO · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,117 students

    $29,179 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong

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