Tuition Trends for Colorado colleges Over Past 10 Years

There are 85 colleges in Colorado - 32 public and 53 private schools. The 2024 average tuition & fees of the 4-year colleges in Colorado is $8,490 for Colorado residents and $21,414 for out-of-state students. In private colleges, the average tuition & fees is $26,919. For Colorado community colleges, the average tuition & fees is $4,639 for state residents and $8,957 for out-of-state students.

Colorado public 4-year colleges' in-state tuition & fees increased by 22.04% from $7,188 (2015) to $8,772 (2024) and out-of-state tuition & fees grew by 19.44% over the past decade from $18,191 (2015) to $21,728 (2024). In private Colorado colleges, the tuition & fees increased by 26.29%, from $20,217 (2015) to $25,533 (2024).

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Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased by 22.66% when living on campus and by 26.77% when living off campus at public Colorado colleges. For private Colorado colleges, the COA has increased by 26.48% (on-campus) and 30.33% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes of Colorado colleges
Year	Living On Campus			Living Off Campus
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$21,545	$32,548	$34,574	$21,742	$32,745	$34,771
2015-16	$21,913 1.71%	$33,255 2.17%	$34,428 -0.42%	$22,326 2.69%	$33,668 2.82%	$34,841 0.20%
2016-17	$22,857 4.31%	$34,569 3.95%	$35,747 3.83%	$23,122 3.57%	$34,834 3.46%	$36,012 3.36%
2017-18	$23,553 3.05%	$35,736 3.38%	$36,520 2.16%	$23,435 1.35%	$35,618 2.25%	$36,402 1.08%
2018-19	$24,735 5.02%	$37,159 3.98%	$37,376 2.34%	$24,659 5.22%	$37,083 4.11%	$37,300 2.47%
2019-20	$24,964 0.93%	$37,518 0.97%	$37,702 0.87%	$24,990 1.34%	$37,544 1.24%	$37,728 1.15%
2020-21	$25,230 1.07%	$37,659 0.38%	$40,867 8.39%	$25,539 2.20%	$37,968 1.13%	$41,176 9.14%
2021-22	$25,635 1.61%	$38,245 1.56%	$40,624 -0.59%	$26,021 1.89%	$38,631 1.75%	$41,010 -0.40%
2022-23	$26,315 2.65%	$39,488 3.25%	$42,305 4.14%	$26,767 2.87%	$39,940 3.39%	$42,757 4.26%
2023-24	$26,968 2.48%	$39,924 1.10%	$43,729 3.37%	$28,555 6.68%	$41,511 3.93%	$45,316 5.98%

Tuition & Fees Changes

For the current year (2024), the average tuition & fees for Colorado colleges is $8,772 for Colorado residents and $21,728 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $26,557.

For graduate programs, the 2024 average graduate tuition & fees is $14,764 for Colorado residents and $22,775 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $24,831.

The tuition & fees has increased 19.44% for undergraduate programs and 5.42% for graduate programs at Colorado colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.

Tuition & Fees Changes for Colorado colleges
Year	Undergraduate			Graduate
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$7,188	$18,191	$20,217	$10,531	$20,028	$17,563
2015-16	$7,430 3.37%	$18,772 3.19%	$19,945 -1.35%	$10,818 2.73%	$20,544 2.58%	$18,282 4.09%
2016-17	$8,077 8.71%	$19,789 5.42%	$20,967 5.12%	$11,280 4.27%	$20,599 0.27%	$18,892 3.34%
2017-18	$8,312 2.91%	$20,495 3.57%	$21,279 1.49%	$11,048 -2.06%	$20,667 0.33%	$19,546 3.46%
2018-19	$8,646 4.02%	$21,070 2.81%	$21,287 0.04%	$11,855 7.30%	$20,005 -3.20%	$19,624 0.40%
2019-20	$8,637 -0.10%	$21,191 0.57%	$21,375 0.41%	$11,672 -1.54%	$19,824 -0.90%	$20,197 2.92%
2020-21	$8,697 0.69%	$21,126 -0.31%	$24,334 13.84%	$11,945 2.34%	$19,986 0.82%	$20,287 0.45%
2021-22	$8,918 2.54%	$21,528 1.90%	$23,907 -1.75%	$11,993 0.40%	$20,228 1.21%	$20,332 0.22%
2022-23	$8,970 0.58%	$22,143 2.86%	$24,960 4.40%	$12,953 8.00%	$21,942 8.47%	$20,736 1.99%
2023-24	$8,772 -2.21%	$21,728 -1.87%	$25,533 2.30%	$13,056 0.80%	$21,113 -3.78%	$23,796 14.76%

Colorado 4-Year Colleges Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

Colorado Graduate Schools Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

Books & Supplies Costs Changes for Colorado colleges
Year	Books & Supplies
2014-15	$1,453
2015-16	$1,431 -1.51%
2016-17	$1,474 3.00%
2017-18	$1,510 2.44%
2018-19	$1,501 -0.60%
2019-20	$1,443 -3.86%
2020-21	$1,390 -3.67%
2021-22	$1,342 -3.45%
2022-23	$1,263 -5.89%
2023-24	$1,236 -2.14%

Living Costs Changes

For Colorado colleges, the living have increased 24.30% when a student lives on campus facilities and 32.60% when living off campus from year 2015 to 2024. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.

Living Costs Changes for Colorado colleges
Year	Living On Campus	Living Off Campus
2014-15	$12,904	$13,753
2015-16	$13,052 1.17%	$13,933 3.23%
2016-17	$13,306 3.78%	$14,283 1.43%
2017-18	$13,731 2.99%	$14,644 -0.06%
2018-19	$14,588 7.34%	$15,506 8.50%
2019-20	$14,884 2.16%	$15,843 2.94%
2020-21	$15,143 0.97%	$16,085 3.81%
2021-22	$15,375 1.95%	$16,317 2.74%
2022-23	$16,082 4.38%	$16,948 5.82%
2023-24	$16,960 4.60%	$17,955 12.95%

Most Searched Colorado Colleges (last 30 days)

4-Year Colleges

University of Colorado Boulder Public, four-years | Boulder
United States Air Force Academy Public, four-years | USAF Academy
Colorado State University-Fort Collins Public, four-years | Fort Collins
University of Denver Private, four-years | Denver
Colorado School of Mines Public, four-years | Golden
Colorado Mesa University Public, four-years | Grand Junction
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Public, four-years | Denver
Colorado College Private, four-years | Colorado Springs
Metropolitan State University of Denver Public, four-years | Denver
Western Colorado University Public, four-years | Gunnison

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Graduate

University of Colorado Boulder Public, four-years | Boulder
University of Denver Private, four-years | Denver
Colorado State University-Fort Collins Public, four-years | Fort Collins
Naropa University Private, four-years | Boulder
Colorado Mesa University Public, four-years | Grand Junction
Adams State University Public, four-years | Alamosa
Colorado School of Mines Public, four-years | Golden
Taft University System Private, four-years | Denver
Fort Lewis College Public, four-years | Durango
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Public, four-years | Denver

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Online Schools

Colorado Christian University Private, four-years | Lakewood
Fort Lewis College Public, four-years | Durango
Colorado State University Global Public, four-years | Aurora
Adams State University Public, four-years | Alamosa
Pima Medical Institute-Denver Private, 2-4 years | Denver
Colorado State University-Fort Collins Public, four-years | Fort Collins
Colorado Mesa University Public, four-years | Grand Junction
Denver Seminary Private, four-years | Littleton
Morgan Community College Public, four-years | Fort Morgan
Otero College Public, 2-4 years | La Junta

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Trade Schools

Academy of Natural Therapy Inc Private, Less than 2-years | Greeley
Avalon Institute-Aurora Private, Less than 2-years | Aurora
International Salon and Spa Academy Private, Less than 2-years | Colorado Springs
Elevate Salon Institute-Westminster Private, Less than 2-years | Westminster
Empire Beauty School-Thornton Private, Less than 2-years | Thornton
Emily Griffith Technical College Public, Less than 2-years | Denver
Aveda Institute-Denver Private, Less than 2-years | Denver
Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology Private, 2-4 years | Denver
Concorde Career College-Aurora Private, four-years | Aurora
Paul Mitchell the School-Denver Private, Less than 2-years | Lakewood

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Tuition Trends for Colorado colleges Over Past 10 Years

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Tuition & Fees Changes

Books & Supplies Costs Changes

Living Costs Changes