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Colorado Northwestern Community College

Public Rangely, CO · Rural · Rocky Mountains · 80% data
B- Value B- Affordability B- Social Mobility
Graduation Rate
34% D
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$43,526 C+
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$12,131 B-
29% less than the typical college
Enrollment
504
Earnings +7% vs avg
Graduation -41% vs avg
Net Price +-29% vs avg
Mobility Top 31%

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 19.9× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $19.9 over 20 years.

19.9× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $19.9 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $915,095.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Graduation of 34% — 41% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $19.9 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Colorado Northwestern Community College Matters

Colorado Northwestern Community College is a public college in Rangely, CO and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
504
Setting
Rural
Primary Strengths
Health Professions, Humanities, Transportation, Mechanic & Repair Tech

Why students choose Colorado Northwestern Community College

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Strength in Health Professions
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C+
Top 44% overall
C+
Earnings
$43,526 median
B-
Value
3.6× net price
B-
Affordability
$12,131/yr net
D
Graduation
34% graduate
B-
Social Mobility
1.9% climb Q1→Q5
C-
Diversity
0.52 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Colorado Northwestern Community College serves a tight-knit community of 504 students, focusing on personalized education and hands-on training in key fields. With a graduation rate of 34%, the college emphasizes student support to help individuals reach their goals.

According to Opportunity Insights data, specific mobility rates and economic connectedness metrics for Colorado Northwestern Community College are not available. However, the college's commitment to student success can be seen in its top programs, which include Humanities, Health Professions, Education, Mechanic & Repair Tech, and Culinary & Personal Services. These areas reflect local job market needs, potentially benefiting students' career trajectories.

The net price for attending Colorado Northwestern is $12,131, with a median debt of $12,000. Graduates earn an average of $43,526 after ten years. Students who thrive here often seek vocational training or associate degrees and appreciate a supportive environment that prioritizes community involvement and practical skill development.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Colorado Northwestern Community College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Colorado Northwestern Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Rangely, Colorado, Colorado Northwestern Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 34%.

Full-Time Faculty
100%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$6,905
Student–Faculty Ratio
15:1
Diversity Index
0.52
First-Gen Students
46%

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 Colorado Northwestern Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Colorado Northwestern Community College is $7,304, 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 $12,131. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $8,832 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $12,000 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$4,594
Out-of-State
$7,304
Avg Net Price
$12,131
Median Debt
$12,000
Pell Grant Rate
14%
Federal Loan Rate
14%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$8,832
Family Income $30K–$48K
$5,246
Family Income $48K–$75K
$11,418
Family Income $110K+
$18,579

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 Colorado Northwestern Community College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Colorado Northwestern Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Colorado Northwestern Community College report median earnings of $43,526, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$39,760
8 Years
$40,580
10 Years
$43,526
Debt-to-Earnings
0.28x
Earning > $25K
62%

Earnings Trajectory

$39,760 6yr $40,580 8yr $43,526 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (42)
26%
100% (42)
26%
100% (42)
26%
100% (42)
26%

How Colorado Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation34%Earnings 10yr$44KNet Price$12KMedian Debt$12KPell Grant Rate14%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$9K$0-30K$5K$30-48K$11K$48-75K$19K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%9.6%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%19.9%MOBILITY1.91%

College ROI Calculator

Is Colorado Northwestern Community College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Colorado Northwestern Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $12,131/year ($48,524 total). Graduates earn $43,526 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $963,619 in total earnings — a net gain of $915,095 (19.9× your investment). The median debt is $12,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 34% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$48,524
Projected 20yr Earnings
$963,619
Net Return
$915,095
ROI Multiple
19.9×
Cost Per Year
$12,131
Median Debt
$12,000
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
34%

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 Colorado Northwestern Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Colorado Northwestern Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.91%, well above the typical college. About 9.6% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 19.9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $72,900, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.91%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
19.9%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
9.6%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$99,046
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Colorado Northwestern 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 Colorado Northwestern Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.38, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.38
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.02
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
7.7%
Support Ratio
0.99
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Top Programs

The fields Colorado Northwestern 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.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Colorado Northwestern Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Rangely, Colorado, Colorado Northwestern Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 34%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Colorado Northwestern Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Colorado Northwestern Community College is $7,304, 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 $12,131. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $8,832 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $12,000 in federal student loans.

Is Colorado Northwestern Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Colorado Northwestern Community College report median earnings of $43,526, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Does Colorado Northwestern Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Colorado Northwestern Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.91%, well above the typical college. About 9.6% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 19.9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $72,900, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Colorado Northwestern 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 Colorado Northwestern Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.38, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

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The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys