Public Bachelor's Good 62/100

Colorado Northwestern Community College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Rangely, Colorado

About Colorado Northwestern Community College

Thinking about Colorado Northwestern Community College, a college in Colorado where more students graduate in Health than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Colorado Northwestern Community College is a public institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Rangely, Colorado. It enrolls 504 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
—
Graduation
34%
Net Price
$12,131
Median Earnings (10yr)
$43,526
Enrollment
504
Student : Faculty
10:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
62/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 44
Value 56
Affordability 31
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Colorado Northwestern Community College does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $12,131 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$12,131
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
14%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
14%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$4,594
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$7,304
Room & Board (on-campus)
$9,500
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,785
Books & Supplies
$1,460
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$6,444
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,444
Total Cost of Attendance
$20,923

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $8,832
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $5,246
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $11,418
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $17,436
  • Over $110,000
    $18,579

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,750
10% percentile
$4,700
25% percentile
$12,000
Median percentile
$13,784
75% percentile
$22,750
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $9,000 ↓ $3,000
No Pell $6,990 ↓ $5,010
Dependent students $5,500 ↓ $6,500
Independent students $9,500 ↓ $2,500
Female students $9,500 ↓ $2,500
Male students $5,775 ↓ $6,225
Pell recipients: 19.5% (2,334 students)No Pell: 15.1% (1,813 students)Dependent students: 11.9% (1,427 students)Independent students: 20.5% (2,464 students)Female students: 20.5% (2,464 students)Male students: 12.5% (1,498 students)Overall Median$12,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($12,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

34% of students who start here finish within six years. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
34%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
—
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $43,526 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$43,526
Earning > $25K
66%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$39,000$40,500$41,500$43,000$44,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$34,200

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$59,000

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$33,000

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$50,000

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$53,000

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $24,800, about 42% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 16.5 pts across 6 years
67.7%1yr68.3%3yr78.2%5yr84.2%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 84% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 504 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 46% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
504
Part-Time
28%
First-Generation
46%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 65.5% 330
Hispanic 22.4% 113
Other 7.2% 36
International 2.4% 12
Black 1.8% 9
Asian 0.2% 1
White: 65.5% (330 students)Hispanic: 22.4% (113 students)Other: 7.2% (36 students)International: 2.4% (12 students)Black: 1.8% (9 students)Asian: 0.2% (1 students)Total504

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Colorado Northwestern Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Rural: Remote Rangely, Colorado
Housing
Mostly residential 311 beds on campus
Adult Learners
16% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Liberal Arts graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Colorado Northwestern Community College offers a varied set of programs: 15 distinct programs across 8 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

3 Programs
1 Program
2 Programs
2 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 10 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Student : Faculty
10:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$12,952
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$61,115
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

29 instructional faculty across 1 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Instructors 29 100% $61,115

Pros & Cons of Colorado Northwestern Community College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Colorado Northwestern Community College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
  • No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for: Based on the data, Colorado Northwestern Community College is a fit for students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Colorado Northwestern Community College

The questions families ask most about Colorado Northwestern Community College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

How much does Colorado Northwestern Community College cost?
Budget around $12,131 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Colorado Northwestern Community College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $43,526 a year against a net price of $12,131, about 3.6 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Colorado Northwestern Community College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Natural Resources Conservation and Research. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Colorado Northwestern Community College graduates earn?
About $43,526 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Colorado Northwestern Community College accredited?
Yes. Colorado Northwestern Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Colorado Northwestern Community College?
504 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Colorado Northwestern Community College?
34% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Colorado Northwestern Community College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Colorado Northwestern Community College located?
Colorado Northwestern Community College is located in Rangely, Colorado.
What programs does Colorado Northwestern Community College offer?
15 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Natural Resources Conservation and Research. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Colorado Northwestern Community College?
10 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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