Arapahoe Community College
- Graduation Rate
- 28% F
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $48,341 B-
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $11,571 B-
- 32% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 5,383
Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 23.4× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $23.4 over 20 years.
Every $1 spent returns $23.4 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,038,676.
What The Data Says
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A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Graduation of 28% — 51% below the national average.
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Every $1 invested returns $23.4 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Arapahoe Community College Matters
Arapahoe Community College is a public college in Littleton, CO and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public College
- Carnegie Class
- Associate's College
- Enrollment
- 5,383
- Setting
- Suburban
- Primary Strengths
- Health Professions, Humanities, Mechanic & Repair Tech, Computer Science & IT
Why students choose Arapahoe Community College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
This school does not report a competitive admit rate — most qualified applicants are admitted.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $11,571 a year after grants and scholarships — 32% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $48,341 ten years after enrolling — 19% above the typical college, against $11,884 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 0.9% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 80% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.48 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Arapahoe Community College serves 5,383 students and has a graduation rate of 28%. This number highlights the challenges many students face in completing their degrees in a timely manner. The college supports a diverse range of programs, including Health Professions and Computer Science, which are key areas of interest for students seeking to enter the workforce quickly.
Data from Opportunity Insights indicates that while specific mobility metrics are unavailable, the average earnings for graduates after ten years is $48,341. This figure suggests that students who complete their programs can expect a reasonable return on their educational investment. However, the graduation rate points to potential hurdles that may affect long-term outcomes and upward mobility.
The net price for attending Arapahoe Community College is $11,571, with a median debt of $11,884. This relatively low cost may appeal to students looking to minimize financial burden. Students who thrive here are often those pursuing practical careers in fields like Health Professions or Culinary Arts, where hands-on experience and job readiness are prioritized.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Arapahoe Community College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Arapahoe Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Arapahoe Community College, located in Littleton, Colorado, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 28%.
- Full-Time Faculty
- 21%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $9,111
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 23:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.61
- First-Gen Students
- 38%
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Arapahoe Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Arapahoe Community College is $17,034, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $11,571. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $8,588 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,884 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $4,434
- Out-of-State
- $17,034
- Avg Net Price
- $11,571
- Median Debt
- $11,884
- Pell Grant Rate
- 10%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 8%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $8,588
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $9,523
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $10,868
- Family Income $110K+
- $18,077
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Arapahoe Community College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Arapahoe Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Arapahoe Community College earn a median of $48,341, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $43,676
- 8 Years
- $45,133
- 10 Years
- $48,341
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.25x
- Earning > $25K
- 63%
Earnings Trajectory
How Arapahoe Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Arapahoe Community College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Arapahoe Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $11,571/year ($46,284 total). Graduates earn $48,341 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,084,960 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,038,676 (23.4× your investment). The median debt is $11,884, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 28% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $46,284
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,084,960
- Net Return
- $1,038,676
- ROI Multiple
- 23.4×
- Cost Per Year
- $11,571
- Median Debt
- $11,884
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 28%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Arapahoe Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Arapahoe Community College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 0.95%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 5.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 16.5% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $93,800, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 0.95%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 16.5%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 5.7%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $127,441
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Top Programs
The fields Arapahoe Community College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Health Professions 33% $70,116 early-career
- Humanities 19%
- Mechanic & Repair Tech 10% $57,547 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 7%
- Culinary & Personal Services 7% $42,081 early-career
- Business & Marketing 6% $54,760 early-career
- Criminal Justice 4% $63,400 early-career
- Education 3%
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Arapahoe Community College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPetroleum Engineer$135,690 · 2% growthResilient 72
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Arapahoe Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Arapahoe Community College, located in Littleton, Colorado, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 28%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Arapahoe Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Arapahoe Community College is $17,034, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $11,571. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $8,588 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,884 in federal student loans.
Is Arapahoe Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Arapahoe Community College earn a median of $48,341, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
Does Arapahoe Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Arapahoe Community College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 0.95%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 5.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 16.5% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $93,800, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Arapahoe Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Arapahoe Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.48, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.05), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Arapahoe Community College.
- Pierce College DistrictLakewood, WA · Close peer31% grad $47,532 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Scottsdale Community CollegeScottsdale, AZ · Close peer17% grad $47,905 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size
- Paradise Valley Community CollegePhoenix, AZ · Close peer19% grad $47,196 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Purdue University Fort WayneFort Wayne, IN · Close peer34% grad $45,872 earn 84% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- University of Alaska FairbanksFairbanks, AK · Close peer35% grad $48,866 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- GateWay Community CollegePhoenix, AZ · Close peer24% grad $46,147 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Arapahoe Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Arapahoe Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.48, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.05), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note