CU Denver vs. Colorado State vs. CU Boulder vs. Colorado School of Mines

Should I go to University of Colorado Denver or Colorado State University Fort Collins? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if CU Denver or Colorado State 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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University of Colorado Denver vs. Colorado State University Fort Collins vs. University of Colorado Boulder vs. Colorado School of Mines comparison
University of Colorado Denver Colorado State University Fort Collins University of Colorado Boulder Colorado School of Mines
University of Colorado Denver Colorado State University Fort Collins University of Colorado Boulder Colorado School of Mines
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Overview

 CU Denver Colorado State CU Boulder Colorado School of Mines
Location Denver, CO Fort Collins, CO Boulder, CO Golden, CO
Setting Large City Midsize City Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 23,409 33,500 41,432 7,599
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #391 #357 #197 #159
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucdenver.edu colostate.edu colorado.edu mines.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 CU Denver Colorado State CU Boulder Colorado School of Mines
Tuition (In State) $9,096 $10,186 $14,784 $18,390
Tuition (Out of State) $27,288 $31,041 $40,297 $41,580
Room & Board $14,920 $15,606 $16,950 $16,820
Avg Net Price $15,303 $19,828 $22,640 $29,785
Avg Grant Aid $8,079 $10,554 $10,838 $11,204
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 71% 54% 94%

Admission

 CU Denver Colorado State CU Boulder Colorado School of Mines
Applied 14,569 36,612 56,069 9,821
Admitted 11,336 32,801 46,692 5,864
Acceptance Rate 77.8% 89.6% 83.3% 10.5%
Enrolled % 14.4% 16.1% 16.2% 3.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.46 3.68 3.68 3.84
Typical High School Grades B+ B+ B+ A-
Admissions Standards Moderate Challenging Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/27 23/29 28/33 29/33
SAT Range 980/1220 1080/1290 1230/1420 1320/1470
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2026 Jul 1, 2026 Jan 15, 2026 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 CU Denver Colorado State CU Boulder Colorado School of Mines
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 17:1 19:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Work and Family Studies (10%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Mathematics (1%)
  • Social Sciences (0%)
  • Physical Sciences (0%)

Outcomes

 CU Denver Colorado State CU Boulder Colorado School of Mines
Graduation Rate 40% 64% 68% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $68,200 $51,800 $56,900 $90,500
Making Student Loan Payments 61% 69% 73% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,190 $21,004 $19,500 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $219 $217 $201 $268

Diversity

 CU Denver Colorado State CU Boulder Colorado School of Mines
% Men 14% 10% 14% 16%
% Women 26% 13% 9% 7%
Racial Diversity High Low Low Low
HBCU No No No No
% White 51% 74% 71% 75%
% Black 5% 2% 2% 1%
% Hispanic 19% 11% 11% 7%
% Native American 0% 1% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 2% 5% 5%
% International 8% 3% 6% 6%
% Unknown Race 2% 4% 1% 1%

Students

 CU Denver Colorado State CU Boulder Colorado School of Mines
% In-State 85% 65% 53% 49%
% Out-of-State 13% 34% 45% 47%

Campus

 CU Denver Colorado State CU Boulder Colorado School of Mines
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes Yes No
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Colorado State University Fort Collins is larger than than CU Denver based on total student enrollment (33,500 students vs. 23,409 students)

CU Denver vs. Colorado State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CU Denver or Colorado State?

  • Colorado State University Fort Collins is 12% more expensive to attend than CU Denver for in-state tuition ($10,186.00 vs. $9,096.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 13.8% higher at Colorado State than University of Colorado Denver ($31,041.00 vs. $27,288.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Colorado Denver than Colorado State ($15,303 vs. $19,828)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Colorado Denver are 4.6% lower than costs at Colorado State University Fort Collins ($14,920 vs. $15,606)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Colorado Denver than Colorado State University Fort Collins (86% vs. 71%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Colorado State University Fort Collins students is 30.6% larger than aid received University of Colorado Denver ($10,554 vs. $8,079)

CU Denver vs. Colorado State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Colorado State University Fort Collins (1145) is 90 points higher than at CU Denver (1055)
  • Incoming Colorado State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at CU Denver (23)
  • Accepted freshman Colorado State students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.68) than students at CU Denver (3.46)
  • Colorado State has a higher acceptance rate (89.6%) than CU Denver (77.8%)

CU Denver vs. Colorado State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CU Denver or Colorado State? 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 State and CU Denver.

  • The graduation rate at Colorado State is higher than University of Colorado Denver (64% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from University of Colorado Denver earn on average $16,400 more per year than Colorado State graduates after ten years. ($68,200 vs. $51,800)
  • Colorado State University Fort Collins students graduate with a $186 lower median federal student loan debt than CU Denver graduates. ($21,004 vs. $21,190)
  • Colorado State graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than CU Denver graduates. ($217 vs. $219)
  • More Colorado State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CU Denver students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 61%)

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