Rankings / By State
Best Data Science Colleges in Colorado
- 15
- Schools
- $59,571
- Avg. Earnings
- 55%
- Avg. Graduation
- $18,344
- Avg. Net Price
- $18,810
- Avg. Debt
CollegeRanker Research
What Surprised Us Most
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Median graduate earnings across these 15 schools run from $39,095 to $97,335, a 2.5× gap. The category label alone says little about payoff.
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Pikes Peak State College delivers the most for the money: roughly $40,796 in median earnings against $6,007 a year in net price, the strongest earnings-to-cost ratio on the list.
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Pikes Peak State College is the lowest-cost school here at $6,007 a year in net price.
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United States Air Force Academy graduates 88% of its students, versus a 55% average across the list. Completion, more than selectivity, signals whether a degree actually gets finished.
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Pikes Peak State College carries the healthiest debt load, with graduates owing just 0.22× their annual earnings.
Surprising Comparisons
- Pikes Peak State College costs $6,007 a year and University of Denver costs $36,131. Yet their graduates earn $40,796 and $71,155, nowhere near the $30,124 price gap.
- On value, Pikes Peak State College beats Colorado School of Mines: comparable career payoff at a fraction of the net price.
- Graduation rates split the field: United States Air Force Academy finishes 88% of students while Community College of Denver finishes 18%. Same ranking, very different odds of leaving with a degree.
The Takeaway
A consistent pattern: the schools that finish at the top get there by delivering strong earnings, manageable debt, and real mobility rather than by charging more or rejecting more applicants. Those outcomes are what define educational value.
What This Means for Students
For students evaluating these schools, begin with Pikes Peak State College and United States Air Force Academy. Look past sticker price: pull each school's net price for your income level, compare it against projected earnings, and let the data guide the decision instead of the brand.
Why this ranking matters
Technology is one of the higher-return fields in the economy, but the payoff depends heavily on where you study it. Graduates of these programs earn a median of about $61K within a decade, and data scientist roles are projected to grow 36%. We rank programs by the outcomes they produce for graduates, not by reputation.
How we measure this — full methodology →How we rank · 4 pillars
Federal-source data only. Build your own weighting →
Data Behind This Page Updated 2026-07-13
Source datasets
Methodology
Schools are scored on the CollegeRanker 4-Pillar Algorithm: Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25–35%), Academic Quality (15–20%), and Value (20–25%). Every weight is published and every figure traces to a public dataset.
See the full methodology and weights →Confidence notes
- Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
- Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
- Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.
Limitations
- Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
- Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
- An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
- Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.
At a Glance
How the Top Schools Compare
| School | Earnings | Net Price | Graduation | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Colorado School of Mines #1 overall | $97,335 ▲ +63% vs avg | $28,690 | 81% | 83 |
| 2 Colorado College #2 overall | $65,222 ▲ +9% vs avg | $33,375 | 87% | 74 |
| 3 Regis University #3 overall | $72,105 ▲ +21% vs avg | $18,397 | 61% | 73 |
| $71,155 ▲ +19% vs avg | $36,131 | 77% | 72 | |
| $52,093 ▼ -13% vs avg | $15,327 | 31% | 71 |
Score uses our 4-pillar methodology. Earnings % is vs. this list's average.
See full ranking →Executive Summary
Best Data Science Colleges in Colorado
This analysis ranks 15 institutions on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost. Across the list, alumni earn a median of $59,571 ten years after enrolling, against an average graduation rate of 55% and an average net price of $18,344.
Key takeaways
- Strongest Earnings-to-Cost Ratio: Pikes Peak State College — Net Price: $6,007 | Graduation Rate: 22%
- Strongest Completion Outcomes: United States Air Force Academy — 88% completion rate
- Highest Earnings Generator: Colorado School of Mines — Median alumni earnings: $97,335
CollegeRanker Primary Research
Private nonprofit colleges cost 110% more in net price than publics, while their graduates earn 21% more.
Technology Workforce Analysis
What does this ranking tell us about the technology workforce?
$58,053
Median earnings (10yr)
51%
Median graduation rate
$16,107
Median net price
1.4%
Avg. mobility rate
Computing, data, and information-systems programs train for one of the highest-paying and fastest-moving corners of the labor market. Starting salaries are strong, and hiring increasingly rewards demonstrable skill over pedigree. The field is cyclical, though, and specific tools age quickly. What endures is fundamentals and the habit of learning new ones.
Start with the medians across these 15 schools. Graduates earn a median of $58,053 ten years after enrollment, or about $10,053 above the $48,000 a typical American worker earns. The median graduation rate is 51%, and the typical net price (what students pay after grants) runs $16,107 a year with about $20,125 in federal debt. Pell grants reach 23% of students on average, and the average mobility rate, the share of students lifted from the bottom income quintile to the top, is 1.4%.
What we’re seeing: employers reward programs with strong industry ties, co-ops, and project portfolios over brand alone. Graduates here post median earnings of $58,053 ten years after enrollment. That premium holds as long as graduates keep their skills current against a fast-shifting stack.
The podium
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Full rankings
Why it ranks #1
Colorado School of Mines lands at #1 with a 83/100 composite, led by economic outcomes (83/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (53/100). Graduates earn a median $97,335 a decade after enrolling, 63% above this list's average, and net price runs $28,690 a year, above the field. Strong earnings drive the rank, but with mobility weighted 35% and value 20%, salary alone can only take a school so far.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #2
Colorado College lands at #2 with a 74/100 composite, led by social mobility (84/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (59/100). Graduates earn a median $65,222 a decade after enrolling, 9% above this list's average, and net price runs $33,375 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #3
Regis University lands at #3 with a 73/100 composite, led by social mobility (84/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (58/100). Graduates earn a median $72,105 a decade after enrolling, 21% above this list's average, and net price runs $18,397 a year. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #4
University of Denver lands at #4 with a 72/100 composite, led by social mobility (82/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (46/100). Graduates earn a median $71,155 a decade after enrolling, 19% above this list's average, and net price runs $36,131 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #5
Metropolitan State University of Denver lands at #5 with a 71/100 composite, led by social mobility (82/100) and pulled down by academic quality (62/100). Graduates earn a median $52,093 a decade after enrolling, 13% below this list's average, and net price runs $15,327 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #6
Western Colorado University lands at #6 with a 71/100 composite, led by social mobility (80/100) and pulled down by academic quality (61/100). Graduates earn a median $46,833 a decade after enrolling, 21% below this list's average, and net price runs $16,425 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #7
University of Colorado Boulder lands at #7 with a 66/100 composite, led by economic outcomes (73/100) and pulled down by social mobility (59/100). Graduates earn a median $69,738 a decade after enrolling, 17% above this list's average, and net price runs $25,346 a year, above the field. Strong earnings drive the rank, but with mobility weighted 35% and value 20%, salary alone can only take a school so far.
Pillar breakdown
Denver, CO · 75% accepted · $11,900 net
Why it ranks #8
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus lands at #8 with a 65/100 composite, led by value per dollar (73/100) and pulled down by social mobility (60/100). Graduates earn a median $64,270 a decade after enrolling, 8% above this list's average, and net price runs $11,900 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that low cost is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #9
Colorado State University Pueblo lands at #9 with a 64/100 composite, led by value per dollar (71/100) and pulled down by social mobility (54/100). Graduates earn a median $55,563 a decade after enrolling, 7% below this list's average, and net price runs $10,051 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that low cost is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Fort Collins, CO · 89% accepted · $21,279 net
Why it ranks #10
Colorado State University-Fort Collins lands at #10 with a 64/100 composite, led by academic quality (73/100) and pulled down by social mobility (60/100). Graduates earn a median $60,543 a decade after enrolling, 2% above this list's average, and net price runs $21,279 a year, above the field. Academics score well here, yet mobility (35%) and value (20%) carry the most weight, so outcome-per-dollar sets the final position.
Pillar breakdown
Colorado Springs, CO · 97% accepted · $15,788 net
Why it ranks #11
University of Colorado Colorado Springs lands at #11 with a 62/100 composite, led by economic outcomes (67/100) and pulled down by social mobility (58/100). Graduates earn a median $54,659 a decade after enrolling, 8% below this list's average, and net price runs $15,788 a year, well under the field. Strong earnings drive the rank, but with mobility weighted 35% and value 20%, salary alone can only take a school so far.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #12
Pikes Peak State College lands at #12 with a 61/100 composite, led by value per dollar (86/100) and pulled down by academic quality (56/100). Graduates earn a median $40,796 a decade after enrolling, 32% below this list's average, and net price runs $6,007 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that low cost is what carries it up the list, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #13
Community College of Aurora lands at #13 with a 58/100 composite, led by value per dollar (83/100) and pulled down by social mobility (43/100). Graduates earn a median $44,592 a decade after enrolling, 25% below this list's average, and net price runs $8,656 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that low cost is what carries it up the list, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #14
United States Air Force Academy lands at #14 with a 54/100 composite, led by academic quality (91/100) and pulled down by social mobility (68/100). Academics score well here, yet mobility (35%) and value (20%) carry the most weight, so outcome-per-dollar sets the final position.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #15
Community College of Denver lands at #15 with a 48/100 composite, led by value per dollar (78/100) and pulled down by academic quality (37/100). Graduates earn a median $39,095 a decade after enrolling, 34% below this list's average, and net price runs $9,450 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that low cost is what carries it up the list, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Cut it by what you care about
The same 14 schools, re-ranked by the outcome that matters to you.
Where the programs — and the jobs are
Where these graduates work
Graduates of these programs most often become Data Scientists and related roles — a field with $108,020 median pay and 36% projected growth.
See the Data Scientist career guide →Data science has become a hot topic in higher education, with more students interested in the skills needed for a growing field. This list highlights the best data science colleges in Colorado, where students can find programs that not only teach technical skills but also deliver solid outcomes. The average earnings for graduates from these institutions stand at $62,842, reflecting the potential return on investment from these programs.
What sets these schools apart is their focus on important outcomes such as graduation rates, earnings, and student debt levels. The list below ranks the institutions based on these factors, so you can see which schools provide the best opportunities for students entering the data science field. As you review the data, consider how each college's metrics align with your own educational and financial goals.
For example, the Colorado School of Mines leads with impressive earnings of $97,335 and an 81% graduation rate, but it comes with a significant net price of $28,690. In contrast, the University of Colorado Denver offers a lower net price of $11,900 but has a much lower graduation rate of 47%. This contrast highlights the trade-offs students face when choosing a program that balances cost with potential outcomes.
The story behind the ranking
A ranking gives you an order; these charts give you the shape. They show how this group of schools spreads across the four things that decide whether a degree pays off — what graduates earn, whether they finish, how far they move up, and what it costs. Look for the standouts, the outliers, and the trade-offs the list alone can't show.
Earnings Outcomes
What graduates earn 10 years after enrolling. Data from College Scorecard.
Distribution of Median Earnings
Earnings vs. Net Price
Top-left = best value. Top-ranked schools are highlighted.
Completion & Access
Graduation rates and who gets in. Data from College Scorecard & IPEDS.
Graduation Rates
Pell Grant Rate vs. Graduation Rate
Right = more low-income students. Higher = more graduate.
What the Mobility Data Says
Social mobility carries the heaviest weight in this ranking, and the measure comes from Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card, built from more than 30 million anonymized tax records. Across the 6 schools here with that data, the average mobility rate is 1.4%. That figure is the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top. Colorado School of Mines leads the group at 2.5%, with Regis University (1.6%) and University of Denver (1.4%) close behind.
Access varies widely. On average, 4.3% of students at these schools come from families in the bottom income quintile. Metropolitan State University of Denver enrolls the most, at 6.9%, a sign it is reaching the students mobility is meant to lift. A high mobility rate paired with strong access is the combination that changes a generation's trajectory.
For the low-income students who do enroll, the success rate (the odds of reaching the top quintile) averages 36.2% across the list, peaking at 64% at Colorado School of Mines.
These campuses can also be measured on social capital: the cross-class friendships Opportunity Insights links to long-run economic outcomes. Economic connectedness here averages 1.77, where about 1.0 is the national norm, and Colorado College is highest at 1.88.
Mobility, access, and social-capital figures from Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card & the Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas.
Cost & Debt
What families actually pay and what students owe. Data from College Scorecard.
Median Debt at Graduation
When we look closely at the data, a significant difference emerges between schools like the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Colorado Denver. While Mines boasts an impressive graduation rate of 81% and high earnings of $97,335, Denver’s graduation rate is just 47% with a lower earning potential of $64,270. This suggests that the higher investment in Mines may yield better long-term returns, making it a strong candidate for those who can afford it.
As you weigh your options, consider how these metrics align with your personal priorities such as program fit, campus atmosphere, and financial circumstances. If affordability is your primary concern, schools like the University of Colorado Denver may appeal due to their lower net prices, but you should also assess the implications of lower graduation rates and overall earning potential. Make a list of what matters most to you and use this data to help guide your decision.
Ultimately, the choices made today can shape a family's future. When students graduate from a school with strong outcomes, they tend to secure stable positions in the workforce, contributing to their financial independence. With careful consideration and the right information, you can make a decision that not only fits your current needs but also supports your long-term goals.
Data Sources
U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard
Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card
Social Capital Atlas
Times Higher Education World Rankings
NCES IPEDS
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Data Science Colleges in Colorado: Your Questions, Answered
What is the #1 school in the Best Data Science Colleges in Colorado ranking? +
Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO ranks #1 in our 2026 Best Data Science Colleges in Colorado ranking. It earns the top spot on the strength of a median $97,335 in graduate earnings ten years after enrollment and a 81% graduation rate. Our score is built entirely from federal data on graduation rates, graduate earnings, debt, and social mobility. Reputation surveys play no part.
Which school has the highest graduate earnings? +
Colorado School of Mines posts the highest median earnings on this list: $97,335 ten years after enrollment, well above the $59,571 average across the 14 ranked schools with earnings data. Earnings that outpace cost are what separate a degree that pays off from one that does not.
Which school offers the best value? +
On a pure return-on-cost basis, Pikes Peak State College leads: graduates earn a median $40,796 against net price of about $6,007 a year, the strongest earnings-to-cost ratio in the ranking. Applicants should weigh that payback against sticker price rather than prestige.
Which school has the highest graduation rate? +
United States Air Force Academy has the highest graduation rate in this ranking at 88%, compared with a 55% average across the list. Completion matters because the students who finish are the ones who actually capture the earnings and mobility gains a degree promises.
How much does it cost to attend these schools? +
The average net price, meaning what students actually pay after grants and scholarships, is about $18,344 a year across the 14 ranked schools with cost data. Pikes Peak State College is among the most affordable at roughly $6,007. Net price is a far better guide to affordability than the published sticker price.
How is the Best Data Science Colleges in Colorado ranking calculated? +
We score every school on a four-pillar algorithm: economic outcomes (graduate earnings and debt), social mobility (Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card, built on more than 30 million anonymized tax records), academic quality (graduation and retention), and value (net price and loan burden). Social mobility carries the heaviest weight, so schools that lift low-income students into higher earnings rank above those that simply admit wealthy students. Every input comes from federal data, and schools that withhold their numbers are scored lower for it.
How many schools are ranked and where does the data come from? +
This ranking evaluates 15 institutions using the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, the Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card and Social Capital Atlas, Times Higher Education, and NCES IPEDS. There are no opinion surveys or paid placements. The order is determined by the data alone and refreshed as new federal figures are released.
Sources & Citations
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