Graduates earn among the highest incomes nationally, with outcomes that significantly exceed peer expectations.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
Colorado School of Mines graduates experience steady earnings growth throughout their early and mid-career periods. Median earnings rise from $82,950 six years after enrollment to $90,777 at eight years and $97,335 at ten years, representing 17.3% growth from the six-year mark.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduates from this institution significantly outperform peers — earnings are 94% higher than similar schools.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $23,000 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
Colorado School of Mines graduates carry a median debt load of $23,000, placing the institution around the national average and $1,895 below the peer median of $21,105. Debt levels range from $10,250 at the 25th percentile to $28,000 at the 75th percentile, indicating variation in borrowing patterns but generally manageable levels relative to the strong earnings outcomes.
Colorado School of Mines delivers exceptional return on investment, ranking at the 98.8th percentile nationally and among the highest we track for educational value creation. Graduates earn $27,988 beyond expectations relative to students with similar backgrounds at other institutions, placing the school at the 97.0th percentile for value-added earnings and representing among the highest we track nationally.
Approximately 26.6% of graduates continue to graduate or professional study, based on medium confidence estimates derived from program mix analysis. ...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Colorado School of Mines' strongest earning programs span multiple engineering disciplines, with Computer Science leading at $110,684 in median earnings. Petroleum Engineering follows at $101,481, reflecting strong industry demand despite smaller cohorts of 84 graduates.
Electrical Engineering ($93,671), Engineering Physics ($87,900), and Bioengineering ($87,437) all exceed $85,000 in median outcomes. Even the institution's lowest-earning technical programs like Applied Mathematics ($76,575) and Environmental Engineering ($75,799) deliver above-average career returns.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Earnings distribution at Colorado School of Mines shows relatively consistent outcomes due to the focused engineering curriculum. The spread from $69,672 at the 25th percentile to $130,454 at the 75th percentile represents a 1.9:1 ratio, indicating less variation than typical institutions.
