Graduates of Adams State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,621, placing Adams State University in the 12.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,469 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Adams State University in the 68.3 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Adams State University #1180 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Adams State's business-focused program portfolio. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 123 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $51,111, representing 0.7x the national benchmark for the field. The General Studies program graduates 37 students earning $41,809, while Kinesiology and Sociology round out the institution's core offerings. The Biology, General program graduates 15 students with median 4-year earnings of $56,467. These programs anchor Adams State's return profile and reflect the institution's concentration in Business fields, which drive consistent outcomes for graduates entering Colorado's regional labor market.
Graduates of Adams State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,621, placing Adams State University in the 12.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,469 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Adams State University in the 68.3 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Adams State University #1180 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Adams State's business-focused program portfolio. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 123 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $51,111, representing 0.7x the national benchmark for the field. The General Studies program graduates 37 students earning $41,809, while Kinesiology and Sociology round out the institution's core offerings. The Biology, General program graduates 15 students with median 4-year earnings of $56,467. These programs anchor Adams State's return profile and reflect the institution's concentration in Business fields, which drive consistent outcomes for graduates entering Colorado's regional labor market.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Adams State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,621, placing Adams State University in the 12.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,469 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Adams State University in the 68.3 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Adams State University #1180 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Adams State's business-focused program portfolio. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 123 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $51,111, representing 0.7x the national benchmark for the field. The General Studies program graduates 37 students earning $41,809, while Kinesiology and Sociology round out the institution's core offerings. The Biology, General program graduates 15 students with median 4-year earnings of $56,467. These programs anchor Adams State's return profile and reflect the institution's concentration in Business fields, which drive consistent outcomes for graduates entering Colorado's regional labor market.
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Adams State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,621, placing Adams State University in the 12.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,469 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Adams State University in the 68.3 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Adams State University #1180 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Adams State's business-focused program portfolio. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 123 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $51,111, representing 0.7x the national benchmark for the field. The General Studies program graduates 37 students earning $41,809, while Kinesiology and Sociology round out the institution's core offerings. The Biology, General program graduates 15 students with median 4-year earnings of $56,467. These programs anchor Adams State's return profile and reflect the institution's concentration in Business fields, which drive consistent outcomes for graduates entering Colorado's regional labor market.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Adams State University's program mix is anchored in business, education, and applied professional fields—a portfolio reflecting the institution's regional public-university identity in Colorado's San Luis Valley. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 123 graduates, followed by General Studies, Kinesiology, Sociology, and Biology, General. Across 13 total programs, 0 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold, with strength concentrated in applied business and workforce-aligned fields. The earnings pattern reflects practical, career-focused program design. Nursing leads with median earnings of $78,402 four years after enrollment among 14 graduates, followed by Biology, General with $56,467 and Business/Commerce, General with $51,111. Kinesiology and General Studies round out the highest-earning cohort. The institution's dominant concentration in Business aligns with regional labor-market demand, where business and management fields support stable employment pathways in Colorado's growing professional services sector. Several of these programs are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the regional and national workforce directly—particularly in accounting, business administration, and applied management fields. Others, including education and psychology, serve local and regional workforce needs where graduates often remain in Colorado communities. The supply and demand for college graduates provides context for how Adams State University's dominant program families align with broader labor-market trends and regional economic opportunity.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories