1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Colorado School of Mines Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Colorado School of Mines CO · Medium public institution · Overall rank #252 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/admissions/)[Majors](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Colorado School of Mines #252 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Colorado School of Mines is a public university in Golden, Colorado, built around engineering. The degree mix is almost entirely STEM, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. The fit is clearest for a student who wants a technical degree and expects to work after graduating. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them, and the typical graduate earns above the median at comparable schools. The model attributes the gap to the factors it measures—field of study, enrollment and the local labor market—which adds, while the unexplained remainder subtracts. Return is among the highest we track. Affordability is below the levels seen at many peers, and what families pay varies considerably across the income scale. Pell students finish within a few points of the overall rate, and mobility is well above average. Access is modestly below average. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions, and the degree mix leaves little room for a student who wants to study outside engineering and computing. ## Colorado School of Mines at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 60.7% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 81.7% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $100,252 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $22,192 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $23,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $53,505 ## Colorado School of Mines rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) 6,155 undergraduates study at Colorado School of Mines, a public university in Golden, Colorado. The university lands in the top fifth of the Azimuth composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (83rd percentile). Colorado School of Mines admits 60.7% of those who apply, compared with 85.9% at comparable institutions (same type and size). 92.8% of first-year students return for a second year, against a peer median of 73.7% (the median among comparable institutions). The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time, full-time cohort is 81.7%, against a peer median of 49.1%. An estimated 8.8% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so that rate describes a specific cohort rather than the whole student body. Return (95th percentile) is the strongest pillar, and affordability (15th percentile) is the weakest. Mobility and access fall in between, at the 86th and 35th percentiles respectively. The four pillars sit far apart across the profile. Azimuth evaluates Colorado School of Mines on four pillars among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. Return is the strongest, at the 95th percentile, and mobility is next at the 86th percentile. Access sits at the 35th percentile. Affordability is the weakest of the four, at the 15th percentile. The spread between the strongest and weakest pillars is wide, with return and affordability sitting at opposite ends of the scale. At Colorado School of Mines, Pell Grants go to 13.6% of undergraduates. Among enrolled students who submitted test scores, the middle 50% of SAT scores fell between 1,320 and 1,480, and the middle 50% of ACT scores between 29 and 33. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth ranks Colorado School of Mines #954 for access. Pell recipients finish within six years at 80.4%, a rate that sits 1.3 percentage points below the overall cohort rate (81.7%). Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth ranks the university #209 for mobility. Graduates earn about $15,633 more than the model expects for similar students. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Colorado School of Mines rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #252 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 86 **Access & reach** National percentile: 35 **[Affordability](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/cost/)** National percentile: 15 **[Return on investment](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/outcomes/)** National percentile: 95 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Engineering Physics**#2** 2. Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering**#6** 3. Petroleum Engineering**#6** This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [Explore major rankings](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Colorado School of Mines briefing ## [Colorado School of Mines cost & financial aid](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Colorado School of Mines publishes a cost of attendance of $40,560. That figure includes $21,914 in resident tuition and fees and $17,531 for housing and meals. Nonresidents pay $45,824 in tuition and fees. For aid recipients at the university, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $28,690. That average net price sits $14,622 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Aid covers about 29% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a savings of $11,870 against the sticker price. Azimuth ranks the university #1,206 for affordability among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. The affordability pillar sits in the 15th percentile. The published cost of attendance at Colorado School of Mines is $40,560. Azimuth ranks the university #1,206 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $16,849, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $22,192, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $35,112. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $18,263. Aid covers about 29% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $28,690, which is $14,622 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $23,000 in federal student loans. That is $1,771 above the $21,229 peer median. 91.9% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $53,505 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 a month. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$22,192** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Colorado School of Mines Federal borrowing is the norm at Colorado School of Mines: 91.9% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. For those who complete, the median federal student loan debt is $23,000. That median runs $1,771 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow through the [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program are a separate population, with a median of $53,505. Graduates of Colorado School of Mines earn a median of $100,252 four years after completing a degree, and they earn about $15,633 more than the model expects for similar students. The earnings advantage is substantial: the median sits at the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, and the beyond-expectations result is at the 92nd percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a typical outcome of $100,252, with a downside of $90,466 and an upside of $123,662. The median federal debt at completion is $23,000, which is $1,771 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 a month if repaid over ten years. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $53,505. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $23,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $53,505 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $261/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $680/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=colorado-school-of-mines#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/cost/) 02 / Colorado School of Mines briefing ## [Colorado School of Mines career outcomes & earnings](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $100,252. That places the institution at the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure is $42,951 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and Azimuth places the return pillar in the 95th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $15,633 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 92nd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $15,656. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $23. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $14,834. Four years after finishing a degree, federally aided completers at Colorado School of Mines who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $100,252. That measurement draws on an earnings cohort of 1,175 graduates. That median falls in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $15,633 more than the model expects for similar students. That result falls in the 92nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a typical outcome of $100,252, a downside scenario of $90,466, and an upside scenario of $123,662. An estimated 23.6% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Graduates of Colorado School of Mines earn a median of $100,252 four years after completing a degree, at the 97th percentile. That figure sits $42,951 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #68 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $15,633 more than the model expects for similar students. The gap lands at the 92nd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $15,656. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $23. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $14,834. The university is overwhelmingly an engineering and applied-science campus. The downside earnings scenario, estimated from the program mix, sits at $90,466 and the upside at $123,662. An estimated 23.6% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Earnings scenarios range from $90,466 on the downside to $123,662 on the upside, with $100,252 as the typical scenario. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. At the upper end, Computer Science graduates earn $127,217 four years after completion, and Petroleum Engineering graduates earn $116,691. Mining and Mineral Engineering, a smaller program, reports $109,695. Graduates of Colorado School of Mines earn about $15,633 more than the model expects for similar students. The debt load is the other side of that return. The published cost of attendance is $40,560. After grants and scholarships, aid recipients in the lowest income band average $16,849, while those in the highest band average $35,112. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $18,263, and net prices are averages; individual aid packages vary. Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $23,000 in federal student loans, $1,771 above the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions (same type and size). The estimated payment on that debt is $261 a month if repaid over ten years. Parent borrowers hold a separate median of $53,505 in Parent PLUS loans. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$15,656 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$23 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$15,633 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/outcomes/) 03 / Colorado School of Mines briefing ## [Colorado School of Mines acceptance rate & admissions](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Colorado School of Mines admits 60.7% of applicants, a figure that sits well below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 60.7% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1320 **Reported average** 1412 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1480 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/admissions/) 04 / Colorado School of Mines briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Colorado School of Mines?](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Colorado School of Mines is an engineering school, and the program-level earnings show that. The median four-year earnings for graduates in most fields exceed the national benchmark for that field. Computer Science leads in earnings at $127,217, with 202 degrees awarded. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #51 nationally within its field. Petroleum Engineering follows at $116,691 from 86 degrees awarded, and holds a national rank of #6. The largest program, Mechanical Engineering, awards 304 degrees a year and posts median earnings of $97,087. Azimuth ranks it #35 nationally. Chemical Engineering is a more moderate-earning option at $94,598 from 155 degrees awarded, with a national rank of #58. Engineering accounts for 78.1% of bachelor's degrees awarded, and Computer & Information Sciences makes up another 17.0%. The university has 9 nationally ranked programs. Mechanical Engineering is the largest, with 304 degrees awarded and a median of $97,087 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #35 in its field. Computer Science follows at 202 degrees and $127,217, ranked #51. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Mechanical Engineering 304 degrees awarded** $97,087 **Computer Science 202 degrees awarded** $127,217 **Chemical Engineering 155 degrees awarded** $94,598 **Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 93 degrees awarded** $106,012 **Petroleum Engineering 86 degrees awarded** $116,691 **Civil Engineering 81 degrees awarded** $94,228 Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/majors/) 05 / Colorado School of Mines briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Colorado School of Mines?](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Colorado School of Mines. Admissions peerRochester Institute of Technology66.9% admitted+ Comparison with Colorado School of Mines | Measure | Colorado School of Mines | Rochester Institute of Technology | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $100,252 | $84,133\-$16,119 vs Colorado School of Mines | | Average annual net price | $28,690 | $34,906+$6,216 vs Colorado School of Mines · higher cost | | Admission rate | 60.7% | 66.9% | [Explore Rochester Institute of Technology →](/school/rochester-institute-of-technology/) Higher-admission alternativeKettering University78.7% admitted+ Comparison with Colorado School of Mines | Measure | Colorado School of Mines | Kettering University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $100,252 | $99,943\-$309 vs Colorado School of Mines | | Average annual net price | $28,690 | $34,660+$5,970 vs Colorado School of Mines · higher cost | | Admission rate | 60.7% | 78.7% | [Explore Kettering University →](/school/kettering-university/) Nearby alternativeRegis UniversityNearby option · CO+ Comparison with Colorado School of Mines | Measure | Colorado School of Mines | Regis University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $100,252 | $81,785\-$18,467 vs Colorado School of Mines | | Average annual net price | $28,690 | $18,397\-$10,293 vs Colorado School of Mines · lower cost | | Admission rate | 60.7% | 86.5% | Higher-earnings alternativeAlbany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences$113,282 earnings+ Comparison with Colorado School of Mines | Measure | Colorado School of Mines | Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $100,252 | $113,282+$13,030 vs Colorado School of Mines | | Average annual net price | $28,690 | $29,882+$1,192 vs Colorado School of Mines · higher cost | | Admission rate | 60.7% | 52.7% | [Explore Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences →](/school/albany-college-of-pharmacy-and-health-sciences/) Lower-cost alternativeUnited States Merchant Marine Academy$6,174 average net price+ Comparison with Colorado School of Mines | Measure | Colorado School of Mines | United States Merchant Marine Academy | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $100,252 | $92,950\-$7,302 vs Colorado School of Mines | | Average annual net price | $28,690 | $6,174\-$22,516 vs Colorado School of Mines · lower cost | | Admission rate | 60.7% | 34.2% | [Explore United States Merchant Marine Academy →](/school/united-states-merchant-marine-academy/) Similar profileOregon Institute of TechnologyMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Colorado School of Mines | Measure | Colorado School of Mines | Oregon Institute of Technology | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $100,252 | $87,138\-$13,114 vs Colorado School of Mines | | Average annual net price | $28,690 | $15,706\-$12,984 vs Colorado School of Mines · lower cost | | Admission rate | 60.7% | 95.0% | [Explore Oregon Institute of Technology →](/school/oregon-institute-of-technology/) Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)