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Community College of Aurora

#5 Most Affordable Colleges in Colorado
Public Aurora, CO · Urban · Rocky Mountains · 87% data
A Diversity B+ Value B+ Affordability
Graduation Rate
31% F
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$44,592 C+
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$8,656 B+
49% less than the typical college
Enrollment
3,250
Earnings +9% vs avg
Graduation -46% vs avg
Net Price +-49% vs avg

Bottom line: A B- overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 30.3× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $30.3 over 20 years. Ranked #5 in Most Affordable Colleges in Colorado.

30.3× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $30.3 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,015,003.

What The Data Says

  1. A B- overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Graduation of 31% — 46% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $30.3 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Community College of Aurora Matters

Community College of Aurora is a public community college in Aurora, 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 Community College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
3,250
Setting
Urban
Designations
HSI
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Computer Science & IT

Why students choose Community College of Aurora

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
Strength in Humanities
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

B-
Top 34% overall
C+
Earnings
$44,592 median
B+
Value
5.2× net price
B+
Affordability
$8,656/yr net
F
Graduation
31% graduate
A
Diversity
0.76 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Students at Community College of Aurora can expect a net price of $8,656, making it an accessible option for those seeking higher education without heavy financial burdens. The school serves around 3,250 students, allowing for a more personalized educational experience.

The Chetty/Opportunity Insights data is not available for this institution, but the graduation rate stands at 31%. This suggests that students may face challenges in completing their degrees. However, graduates who do finish can anticipate earnings of approximately $44,592 within ten years of completing their studies, which can be an important factor for those considering their return on investment.

Community College of Aurora is well-suited for students interested in fields such as Humanities, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Education, and Visual & Performing Arts. The median debt for graduates is $10,500, which is manageable for many. With a Pell Grant rate of 16%, financial aid is available, but students should be prepared for the realities of college finances and the importance of staying on track to graduation.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Community College of Aurora 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 Community College of Aurora? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Community College of Aurora, located in Aurora, Colorado, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 31%.

Retention Rate
61%
Full-Time Faculty
100%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$7,866
Student–Faculty Ratio
13:1
Diversity Index
0.76
First-Gen Students
51%

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 Community College of Aurora? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Community College of Aurora is $17,070, 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 $8,656. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $6,305 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $10,500 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$4,470
Out-of-State
$17,070
Avg Net Price
$8,656
Median Debt
$10,500
Pell Grant Rate
16%
Federal Loan Rate
6%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$6,305
Family Income $30K–$48K
$6,611
Family Income $48K–$75K
$9,726
Family Income $110K+
$16,700

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 Community College of Aurora — 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 Community College of Aurora Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Community College of Aurora report median earnings of $44,592, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$38,842
8 Years
$41,299
10 Years
$44,592
Debt-to-Earnings
0.24x
Earning > $25K
56%

Earnings Trajectory

$38,842 6yr $41,299 8yr $44,592 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (70)
21%
100% (70)
21%
100% (70)
21%
100% (70)
21%

How Community Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation31%Earnings 10yr$45KNet Price$9KRetention61%Median Debt$11KPell Grant Rate16%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$6K$0-30K$7K$30-48K$10K$48-75K$17K$110K+

College ROI Calculator

Is Community College of Aurora Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Community College of Aurora delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $8,656/year ($34,624 total). Graduates earn $44,592 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,049,627 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,015,003 (30.3× your investment). The median debt is $10,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 31% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$34,624
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,049,627
Net Return
$1,015,003
ROI Multiple
30.3×
Cost Per Year
$8,656
Median Debt
$10,500
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
31%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Community College of Aurora? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Community College of Aurora. Its economic connectedness score is 1.26, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.09). Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.26
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.09
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
4.3%
Support Ratio
0.87
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).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Endowment
$940,439
Federal Grants
$2,244,210
Investment Income
$291,389

Top Programs

The fields Community College of Aurora 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 Community College of Aurora? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Community College of Aurora, located in Aurora, Colorado, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 31%.

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

Published tuition at Community College of Aurora is $17,070, 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 $8,656. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $6,305 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $10,500 in federal student loans.

Is Community College of Aurora Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Community College of Aurora report median earnings of $44,592, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

How Connected Is Community College of Aurora? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Community College of Aurora. Its economic connectedness score is 1.26, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.09). Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Community College of Aurora.

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