Colorado State University-Fort Collins is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Fort Collins, Colorado. It enrolls 25,538 students (a very large 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.
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 Selective), 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 · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes73
Value56
Affordability33
Selectivity46
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Colorado State University-Fort Collins admits 88.5% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
88.5%
Easy
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 State University-Fort Collins is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
8.2 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 $21,279 a year on average, it sits in line with what public colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$13,373
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$34,783
Room & Board (on-campus)
$16,817
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,785
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,294
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,294
Total Cost of Attendance
$31,642
Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)
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
$13,259
$30,001 – $48,000
$14,460
$48,001 – $75,000
$15,905
$75,001 – $110,000
$21,927
Over $110,000
$29,763
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.
$3,75010%percentile
$6,50025%percentile
$20,000Medianpercentile
$25,53575%percentile
$31,75090%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 $16,337
↓ $3,663
No Pell $13,056
↓ $6,944
Dependent students $14,250
↓ $5,750
Independent students $16,516
↓ $3,484
Female students $14,998
↓ $5,002
Male students $14,474
↓ $5,526
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,250, less than completers ($20,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
64% of students who start here finish within six years, and 85% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. 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
64%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
85%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $60,543 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$60,543
Earning > $25K
84%
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.
By Gender
Female graduates
$45,100
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$61,700
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$52,000
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$52,500
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$54,600
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $16,600, about 27% 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 ↑
12.0 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 85% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 25,538 students, a sprawling student community.
Total Enrolled
25,538
Part-Time
10%
First-Generation
24%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 69.6%17,769
Hispanic 16.0%4,096
Other 5.7%1,463
Asian 2.9%743
Black 2.7%682
International 2.3%595
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Colorado State University-Fort Collins. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Colorado State University-Fort Collins offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
209 distinct programs across
27 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.
There are 17 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$17,816
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$599M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$106,101
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
1,536 instructional faculty across 4 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
Full Professors
492
32%
$149,986
Associate Professors
428
28%
$107,870
Assistant Professors
371
24%
$91,469
Instructors
245
16%
$67,155
Pros & Cons of Colorado State University-Fort Collins
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Colorado State University-Fort Collins is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Colorado State University-Fort Collins is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who want a large campus with breadth and variety.
Frequently Asked Questions about Colorado State University-Fort Collins
The questions families ask most about Colorado State University-Fort Collins, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Colorado State University-Fort Collins hard to get into?
Not especially. Colorado State University-Fort Collins admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 88.5%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Colorado State University-Fort Collins?
88.5% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Colorado State University-Fort Collins cost?
Budget around $21,279 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 State University-Fort Collins worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $60,543 a year against a net price of $21,279, about 2.8 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 State University-Fort Collins known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Biology, Business Administration. 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 State University-Fort Collins graduates earn?
About $60,543 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 State University-Fort Collins accredited?
Yes. Colorado State University-Fort Collins is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Colorado State University-Fort Collins?
25,538 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Colorado State University-Fort Collins?
64% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Colorado State University-Fort Collins a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Colorado State University-Fort Collins located?
Colorado State University-Fort Collins is located in Fort Collins, Colorado.
What programs does Colorado State University-Fort Collins offer?
209 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Biology, Business Administration. 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 State University-Fort Collins?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Colorado
Other colleges in Colorado share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
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