Colorado Mesa vs. IPFW

Should I go to Colorado Mesa University or Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Colorado Mesa or IPFW 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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Colorado Mesa University vs. Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne comparison
Colorado Mesa University Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne College 3 College 4
Colorado Mesa University Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne
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Overview

 Colorado Mesa IPFW
Location Grand Junction, CO Fort Wayne, IN
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 8,995 8,874
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #856 #864
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mesastate.edu ipfw.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Colorado Mesa IPFW
Tuition (In State) $8,592 $8,049
Tuition (Out of State) $23,192 $21,015
Room & Board $11,760 $10,332
Avg Net Price $15,076 $12,619
Avg Grant Aid $7,698 $6,589
% Receiving Grant Aid 81% 99%

Admission

 Colorado Mesa IPFW
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,631 6,466
Admitted 8,653 5,539
Acceptance Rate 81.4% 85.7%
Enrolled % 20.9% 24.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.28 3.37
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/26 19/26
SAT Range 930/1180 960/1190
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 Colorado Mesa IPFW
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (26%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • Business (19%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (17%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)

Outcomes

 Colorado Mesa IPFW
Graduation Rate 25% 26%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,000 $38,600
Making Student Loan Payments 48% 51%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,750 $24,500
Median Loan Payment $224 $253

Diversity

 Colorado Mesa IPFW
% Men 1% 4%
% Women 2% 5%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 70% 82%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 17% 5%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 Colorado Mesa IPFW
% In-State 85% 83%
% Out-of-State 14% 13%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Colorado Mesa University is larger than than IPFW based on total student enrollment (8,995 students vs. 8,874 students)

Colorado Mesa vs. IPFW Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Colorado Mesa or IPFW?

  • Colorado Mesa University is 6.7% more expensive to attend than IPFW for in-state tuition ($8,592.00 vs. $8,049.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 10.4% higher at Colorado Mesa than Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne ($23,192.00 vs. $21,015.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne than Colorado Mesa ($12,619 vs. $15,076)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne are 13.8% lower than costs at Colorado Mesa University ($10,332 vs. $11,760)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne than Colorado Mesa University (99% vs. 81%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Colorado Mesa University students is 16.8% larger than aid received Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne ($7,698 vs. $6,589)

Colorado Mesa vs. IPFW Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne (995) is 43 points higher than at Colorado Mesa (952)
  • Incoming IPFW students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Colorado Mesa (20)
  • Accepted freshman IPFW students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.37) than students at Colorado Mesa (3.28)
  • IPFW has a higher acceptance rate (85.7%) than Colorado Mesa (81.4%)

Colorado Mesa vs. IPFW Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Colorado Mesa or IPFW? 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 IPFW and Colorado Mesa.

  • The graduation rate at IPFW is higher than Colorado Mesa University (26% vs. 25%)
  • Graduates from Colorado Mesa University earn on average $1,400 more per year than IPFW graduates after ten years. ($40,000 vs. $38,600)
  • Colorado Mesa University students graduate with a $2,750 lower median federal student loan debt than IPFW graduates. ($21,750 vs. $24,500)
  • Colorado Mesa graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than IPFW graduates. ($224 vs. $253)
  • More IPFW graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Colorado Mesa students, three years after graduation. (51% vs. 48%)

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