Best Engineering Colleges in Colorado (2026)
Updated
This page lists the 8 schools in Colorado that offer Engineering, ordered by median earnings of Engineering graduates four years after completing. Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first.
Only schools with a reported Engineering earnings cohort in Colorado appear. University of Colorado Colorado Springs ranks 1st on this list, reporting $98,790 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the 6 schools with a published figure, median earnings range from $98,790 to $77,389, with a median of $96,236.
88% of the listed schools are public, with 7 public and 1 private nonprofit institution. University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus posts the lowest average net price at $11,900.
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus ranks 130th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Engineering Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs · Colorado Springs, CO | $98,790 | $15,788 | $12,065 | 97.4% |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs reports median earnings of $98,790 for its Engineering graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (80 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (24 graduates), Computer Engineering (11 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($113,627), Mechanical Engineering ($91,192) | |||||
| 2 | Colorado School of Mines · Golden, CO | $98,326 | $28,690 | $16,849 | 60.7% |
| Colorado School of Mines admits 61% of applicants and graduates 82% of its students within six years, the top completion rate on the page. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (304 graduates), Chemical Engineering (155 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (93 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Petroleum Engineering ($116,691), Mining and Mineral Engineering ($109,695), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($106,012) | |||||
| 3 | University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO | No published median | $25,346 | $14,231 | 78.1% |
| University of Colorado Boulder carries an average net price of $25,346 and ranks 174th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (235 graduates), Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering (199 graduates), Civil Engineering (81 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering ($116,350), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($100,631), Chemical Engineering ($95,780) | |||||
| 4 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus · Denver, CO | $96,696 | $11,900 | $6,743 | 74.7% |
| With an average net price of $11,900, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus is the lowest among the listed schools, and posts a six-year completion rate of 46%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (64 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (50 graduates), Civil Engineering (48 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($110,754), Mechanical Engineering ($94,320), Civil Engineering ($92,224) | |||||
| 5 | University of Northern Colorado · Greeley, CO | $95,775 | $17,760 | $12,695 | 85.9% |
| University of Northern Colorado shows median earnings of $95,775 for its Engineering graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 86%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Computer Engineering (18 graduates) | |||||
| 6 | University of Denver · Denver, CO | $93,026 | $36,131 | $20,097 | 77.8% |
| A private nonprofit university in Denver, University of 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: Mechanical Engineering (32 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (10 graduates), Computer Engineering (9 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Mechanical Engineering ($93,026) | |||||
| 7 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO | No published median | $21,279 | $13,259 | 88.5% |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins admits 89% of applicants and carries an average net price of $13,259 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Mechanical Engineering (179 graduates), Civil Engineering (109 graduates), Chemical Engineering (75 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($99,172), Chemical Engineering ($97,271), Mechanical Engineering ($94,260) | |||||
| 8 | Fort Lewis College · Durango, CO | $77,389 | $17,296 | $18,622 | 77.3% |
| Fort Lewis College reports median earnings of $77,389 for its Engineering graduates four years after completing and ranks 909th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Engineering, General (29 graduates), Computer Engineering (7 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Engineering, General ($77,389) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only schools with a reported Engineering earnings cohort in Colorado appear. The figures are medians for federally aided Engineering completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. The list does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 6 schools with a published figure. University of Colorado Colorado Springs leads at $98,790, just $464 ahead of Colorado School of Mines at $98,326.
Job market context in Colorado
Engineering graduates in Colorado enter a labor market linked to occupations such as Civil Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, and Electrical Engineers. The median annual wage across those occupations is $125,275, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $106,082. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 25.0% higher, with about 312 openings a year for every hundred graduates, more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, which reflect early-career outcomes for specific programs rather than the broader occupational market.