CSU vs. Colorado Mesa

Should I go to California State University Chico or Colorado Mesa University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if CSU or Colorado Mesa is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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California State University Chico vs. Colorado Mesa University comparison
California State University Chico Colorado Mesa University College 3 College 4
California State University Chico Colorado Mesa University
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Overview

 CSU Colorado Mesa
Location Chico, CA Grand Junction, CO
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 14,183 8,905
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #659 #886
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csuchico.edu mesastate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 CSU Colorado Mesa
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $8,261
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $21,983
Room & Board $15,212 $11,522
Avg Net Price $15,517 $15,085
Avg Grant Aid $9,162 $9,209
% Receiving Grant Aid 62% 87%

Admission

 CSU Colorado Mesa
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,417 9,810
Admitted 20,347 8,021
Acceptance Rate 95% 81.8%
Enrolled % 9.9% 21.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.37 3.28
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Very Easy Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 18/25
SAT Range 970/1170 930/1180
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Dec 15, 2023

Academics

 CSU Colorado Mesa
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Health Professions (26%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)

Outcomes

 CSU Colorado Mesa
Graduation Rate 59% 25%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,400 $40,000
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 48%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $21,750
Median Loan Payment $175 $224

Diversity

 CSU Colorado Mesa
% Men 45% 47%
% Women 55% 53%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 46% 70%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 29% 17%
% Native American 1% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 1%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 3% 1%
% Unknown Race 7% 2%

Students

 CSU Colorado Mesa
% In-State 97% 83%
% Out-of-State 2% 16%

Campus

 CSU Colorado Mesa
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University Chico is larger than than Colorado Mesa based on total student enrollment (14,183 students vs. 8,905 students)

CSU vs. Colorado Mesa Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CSU or Colorado Mesa?

  • Colorado Mesa University is 43.9% more expensive to attend than CSU for in-state tuition ($8,261.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 24.7% higher at Colorado Mesa than California State University Chico ($21,983.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Colorado Mesa University than CSU ($15,085 vs. $15,517)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Colorado Mesa University are 32% lower than costs at California State University Chico ($11,522 vs. $15,212)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Colorado Mesa University than California State University Chico (87% vs. 62%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Colorado Mesa University students is 0.5% larger than aid received California State University Chico ($9,209 vs. $9,162)

CSU vs. Colorado Mesa Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, CSU or Colorado Mesa? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Colorado Mesa or CSU .

  • The average SAT score at California State University Chico (1003) is 51 points higher than at Colorado Mesa (952)
  • Incoming CSU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Colorado Mesa (20)
  • Accepted freshman CSU students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.37) than students at Colorado Mesa (3.28)
  • CSU has a higher acceptance rate (95%) than Colorado Mesa (81.8%)

CSU vs. Colorado Mesa Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CSU or Colorado Mesa? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Colorado Mesa and CSU.

  • The graduation rate at CSU is higher than Colorado Mesa University (59% vs. 25%)
  • Graduates from California State University Chico earn on average $12,400 more per year than Colorado Mesa graduates after ten years. ($52,400 vs. $40,000)
  • California State University Chico students graduate with a $4,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Colorado Mesa graduates. ($17,000 vs. $21,750)
  • CSU graduates are paying $49 less per month on federal student loans than Colorado Mesa graduates. ($175 vs. $224)
  • More CSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Colorado Mesa students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 48%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/