Best Art & Design Colleges in Colorado (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 10 Art & Design programs in Colorado by median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing, highest first. Metropolitan State University of Denver leads the list with $50,702, followed by University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus at $48,030.
Across the 7 schools with a reported completion median, median earnings reach $39,865 and span from $50,702 to $22,485.
The list is 90% public, with 9 public schools and 1 private nonprofit. University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus ranks 130th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally, the best on the page. Colorado State University Pueblo posts the lowest average net price at $10,051.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Art & Design Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metropolitan State University of Denver · Denver, CO | $50,702 | $15,327 | $12,481 | 98.8% |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $50,702 for its Art & Design graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (63 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (33 graduates), Music (25 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($61,654), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft ($42,870), Fine and Studio Arts ($42,490) | |||||
| 2 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus · Denver, CO | $48,030 | $11,900 | $6,743 | 74.7% |
| An average net price of $11,900 and an admission rate of 75% are reported by University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Music (98 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (81 graduates), Film/Video and Photographic Arts (42 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fine and Studio Arts ($49,842), Music ($46,532) | |||||
| 3 | University of Northern Colorado · Greeley, CO | $44,826 | $17,760 | $12,695 | 85.9% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 51%, University of Northern Colorado ranks 605th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (68 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (67 graduates), Music (28 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fine and Studio Arts ($46,502), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft ($46,089) | |||||
| 4 | University of Denver · Denver, CO | $42,427 | $36,131 | $20,097 | 77.8% |
| University of Denver, a private nonprofit university in Denver, reports an average net price of $36,131 and a six-year completion rate of 76%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Music (31 graduates), Design and Applied Arts (20 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (20 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Music ($48,461) | |||||
| 5 | University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO | $40,216 | $25,346 | $14,231 | 78.1% |
| Admitting 78% of applicants, University of Colorado Boulder reports an average net price of $14,231 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Film/Video and Photographic Arts (77 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (57 graduates), Music (48 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fine and Studio Arts ($47,297), Film/Video and Photographic Arts ($39,720) | |||||
| 6 | Western Colorado University · Gunnison, CO | $39,865 | $16,425 | $11,490 | 99.7% |
| Western Colorado University reports median earnings of $39,865 for its Art & Design graduates four years after completing, matching the page median of $39,865. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (33 graduates) | |||||
| 7 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO | $39,669 | $21,279 | $13,259 | 88.5% |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins ranks 200th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and graduates 67% of its students within six years. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (87 graduates), Music (38 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (26 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fine and Studio Arts ($41,309), Music ($39,414) | |||||
| 8 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs · Colorado Springs, CO | $37,628 | $15,788 | $12,065 | 97.4% |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs reports an average net price of $15,788 and median earnings of $37,628 for its Art & Design graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Visual and Performing Arts, General (46 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Visual and Performing Arts, General ($37,628) | |||||
| 9 | Colorado State University Pueblo · Pueblo, CO | $31,603 | $10,051 | $9,374 | 94.9% |
| Colorado State University Pueblo holds the lowest average net price on the page at $10,051 and admits 95% of applicants. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (14 graduates), Music (13 graduates) | |||||
| 10 | Fort Lewis College · Durango, CO | $22,485 | $17,296 | $18,622 | 77.3% |
| Fort Lewis College reports median earnings of $22,485 for its Art & Design graduates two years after completing and an admission rate of 77%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (16 graduates), Music (7 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (5 graduates) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Art & Design graduates four years after completing, or two years for programs that report only a two-year figure, highest first. The figure covers federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled after completing their program. For 1 of the 10 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The figures cited on this page cover the 7 schools with a reported completion median. Metropolitan State University of Denver leads University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus by $2,672, and the spread from top to bottom reaches $28,217.
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