University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder, Colorado · Also known as U of Colorado|Univ of Colorado|University of Colorado|U of CO|Univ of CO|University of CO|Boulder|CU|CU-Boulder|UCB|CUB|Colorado|Colorado University|U of Colo|Univ of Colo|University of Colo|Colo|Buffs|Buffalos|Buffaloes|CU at Boulder|Golden Buffs|University of Colorado at Boulder · Website
$69,738
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$69,738
median earnings, 10 years after starting
University of Colorado Boulder is a public 4-year college in Boulder, Colorado with 31,939 undergraduates and 6,555 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $25,346 a year (tuition and fees $15,666 in-state, $44,918 out-of-state). It admits 78% of applicants and 74% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $69,738 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $19,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$25,346
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$15,666
Out-of-state $44,918
Admission rate
78%
US median 78%
Completion rate
74%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$19,500
About $207 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$69,738
Rank 385 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $25,346
- Tuition in-state
- $15,666
- Tuition out-of-state
- $44,918
- Cost of attendance
- $37,684
- Students with a need-based grant
- 14%
- Students with federal loans
- 25%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $14,231
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $14,381
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $18,828
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $26,915
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $34,818
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $11,091 in 2015-16 to $15,666 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 78%
- Average SAT
- 1,357
- SAT reading, middle
- 640
- SAT math, middle
- 640
- ACT, middle
- 28
- Undergraduates
- 31,939
- Graduate students
- 6,555
- Part-time students
- 9.6%
- Women
- 47%
- Students per teacher
- 19
- Completion rate
- 74%
- Retention rate
- 90%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 225
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 385 of 5,094 US colleges and 6 of 69 in Colorado (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CO median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $25,346 | $17,042 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $15,666 | $9,958 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 78% | 89% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 74% | 62% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 90% | 72% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $19,500 | $11,008 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $54,939 | $36,984 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $69,738 | $42,169 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 74% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 79% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
225 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 1,201 | $20,500 | $56,014 | $86,441 | $68,257 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 585 | $18,794 | $30,176 | $56,867 | $50,706 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 483 | $19,687 | $77,385 | $121,952 | $107,009 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 411 | $18,500 | $42,218 | $74,779 | $63,560 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related SciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 351 | $19,483 | $33,926 | $71,444 | $62,172 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 309 | $41,000 | $94,825 | $137,635 | $103,485 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 281 | $18,742 | $39,954 | $69,651 | $63,293 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 272 | $15,630 | $51,521 | $73,319 | $82,686 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 262 | $18,958 | $66,089 | $93,073 | $92,135 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 233 | Withheld | $121,553 | $170,375 | $133,654 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 218 | $24,500 | $81,835 | $116,350 | $98,207 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's | Bachelor's | 206 | $19,750 | $30,747 | $63,337 | $55,012 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 201 | $16,500 | $39,738 | $66,623 | $56,359 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population BiologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 194 | $21,256 | $37,184 | $53,429 | $48,842 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 191 | $16,000 | $37,958 | $58,026 | $52,657 |
| LawProfessional | Professional | 171 | $105,696 | $73,809 | $109,411 | $107,773 |
| Computer ScienceMaster's | Master's | 162 | Withheld | Withheld | $148,463 | $145,571 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 157 | $41,000 | $96,904 | $120,144 | $122,434 |
| Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 147 | $20,547 | $35,980 | $71,942 | $62,451 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical SciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 146 | $15,500 | $43,192 | $68,579 | $66,697 |
| Environmental DesignBachelor's | Bachelor's | 129 | $22,497 | $42,401 | $61,788 | $57,461 |
| International/Globalization StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 122 | $17,340 | $33,892 | $59,796 | $59,972 |
| Mechanical EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 111 | $41,000 | $84,620 | $115,960 | $115,974 |
| Computational ScienceMaster's | Master's | 105 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchMaster's | Master's | 103 | $57,931 | $57,788 | $81,568 | $74,607 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: Colorado on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Colorado
- Homes: Homes for sale in Colorado
Questions and answers
How much does University of Colorado Boulder cost?
$25,346 a year is the average net price at University of Colorado Boulder after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $15,666 for in-state students and $44,918 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $37,684. Families earning under $30,000 pay $14,231 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Colorado Boulder?
78% of applicants are admitted to University of Colorado Boulder. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,357 and the middle ACT score is 28. The median admission rate of colleges in Colorado is 89%.
How much do University of Colorado Boulder graduates earn?
$69,738 a year is the median pay of former University of Colorado Boulder students who work, 10 years after they started ($54,939 after 6 years). That ranks 385 of 5,094 US colleges and 6 of 69 in Colorado. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Master's) at $121,553.
How much student debt do University of Colorado Boulder graduates have?
$19,500 is the median federal student loan debt of University of Colorado Boulder graduates, about $207 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 25% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at University of Colorado Boulder?
74% of first-time, full-time students at University of Colorado Boulder finish within 6 years. 90% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at University of Colorado Boulder?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (1,201 bachelor's graduates), Psychology, General (585 bachelor's graduates), Computer Science (483 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 225 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.