Colorado School of Trades is a private for-profit institution offering associate degrees based in Lakewood, Colorado. It enrolls 85 students (a very small, intimate 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.
AccreditorAccrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges
Academic CalendarContinuous
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 (2-Year), 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
69/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes93
Value27
Affordability22
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Colorado School of Trades admits 90.9% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
90.9%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Colorado School of Trades is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
23.1 pts
since 2019
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 $26,083 a year on average, it sits in line with what private for-profit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$4,92910%percentile
$8,00025%percentile
$20,000Medianpercentile
$20,00075%percentile
$20,00090%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 $19,734
↓ $266
No Pell $12,000
↓ $8,000
Dependent students $12,000
↓ $8,000
Independent students $20,000
—
What this means:
28% of students receive Pell grants. Most cost is borne by families above Pell thresholds. Verify your individual aid offer before deciding.
Graduation Rate & Retention
84% of students who start here finish within six years, and 88% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. 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
84%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
88%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $51,591 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)
$51,591
Earning > $25K
76%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
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 ↑
16.0 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 70% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 85 students, an intimate, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 32% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
85
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
32%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 74.1%63
Hispanic 11.8%10
Asian 3.5%3
Other 2.4%2
Black 1.2%1
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Colorado School of Trades. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large SuburbLakewood, Colorado
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
44%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Continuousscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Colorado School of Trades offers
a focused set of programs:
1 distinct programs across
1 major.
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.
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
Avg Faculty Salary
$34,468
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Pros & Cons of Colorado School of Trades
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Colorado School of Trades is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
For-profit institution, verify accreditation and outcomes carefully
Best for:
Based on the data, Colorado School of Trades is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Colorado School of Trades
The questions families ask most about Colorado School of Trades, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Colorado School of Trades hard to get into?
Not especially. Colorado School of Trades admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 90.9%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Colorado School of Trades?
90.9% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Colorado School of Trades cost?
Budget around $26,083 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 School of Trades worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $51,591 a year against a net price of $26,083, about 2.0 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 School of Trades known for?
Mostly Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians. 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 School of Trades graduates earn?
About $51,591 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 School of Trades accredited?
Yes. Colorado School of Trades is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.
How many students attend Colorado School of Trades?
85 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 School of Trades?
84% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Colorado School of Trades a public or private college?
It is Private For-Profit. Private for-profit, so compare completion and earnings carefully against a public alternative.
Where is Colorado School of Trades located?
Colorado School of Trades is located in Lakewood, Colorado.
What programs does Colorado School of Trades offer?
1 different programs, most commonly Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians. 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 School of Trades?
10 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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