College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

Colorado State University-Fort Collins

COLarge public institution · Overall rank #200 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Within Azimuth's nonprofit four-year coverage, Colorado State University-Fort Collins holds #200.

Who it’s a good fit for

Colorado State University-Fort Collins is a public university in Fort Collins, Colorado, where the degree mix is led by Biological Sciences, Business, and Engineering. Mobility is among the highest we track.

Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them, and the typical graduate earns above the median at comparable schools. The model attributes part of the gap to the factors it measures, which adds, while the remainder it cannot explain subtracts.

Pell recipients complete within a few points of the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. The lowest income band averages below the published cost, and the highest band also averages below it.

The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study, and the largest programs are not the highest-earning ones.

Colorado State University-Fort Collins at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
88.5%
Six-year completion[2]
66.5%
Four-year earnings[3]
$67,911

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$15,905
Median student debt[4]
$20,000
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$36,000

Colorado State University-Fort Collins rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

Colorado State University-Fort Collins is a public university in Fort Collins, Colorado, enrolling 25,538 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits near the top of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The university admits 88.5% of applicants, a rate above the 78.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Retention runs ahead of the peer median—the median for comparable institutions of the same type and size—with 85.9% returning for a second year against a peer median of 83.1%.

Completion also beats the peer figure, with 66.5% finishing within six years compared to a peer median of 65.0%. An estimated 22.6% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students.

The shape is a broad-access public campus where mobility is the strongest and affordability the weakest, with return and access sitting between them. The four pillars sit far apart, with mobility well above the rest and affordability near the middle of the field.

Mobility is the clearest strength for readers judging how broadly this university serves students. Azimuth places Colorado State University-Fort Collins's mobility pillar in the 93rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Return stands in the 68th percentile and access in the 64th percentile, according to Azimuth. Affordability is the weakest pillar, at the 51st percentile; the strong mobility standing sits alongside a more middle-of-the-pack affordability measure.

21.1% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks Colorado State University-Fort Collins #532 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Pell recipients complete at 64.2%, which is 2.3 percentage points below the overall six-year graduation rate (66.5%). Azimuth ranks the university #103 for mobility. Graduates earn about $1,875 more than the model expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

Colorado State University-Fort Collins rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#200

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 93
Access & reach
National percentile: 64
Affordability
National percentile: 51
Return on investment
National percentile: 68

Top-ranked majors

  1. Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management#4
  2. Interior Architecture#6
  3. Zoology/Animal Biology#9

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / Colorado State University-Fort Collins briefing

Colorado State University-Fort Collins cost & financial aid[6][7]

Colorado State University-Fort Collins publishes a cost of attendance of $31,642. The published in-state tuition and fees are $13,373, out-of-state tuition and fees are $34,783, and room and board is $16,817.

For Colorado State University-Fort Collins, the average net price is $21,279, which is $5,645 above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Financial aid reduces the published cost by $10,363 on average.

Azimuth ranks the university #695 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 51st percentile.

At Colorado State University-Fort Collins, the published cost of attendance is $31,642, before grants and scholarships reduce what aid recipients pay. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $13,259 for the lowest-income band, $14,460 for the next band, $15,905 for the middle-income band, $21,927 for the upper-middle band, and $29,763 for the highest-income band.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $16,504. Azimuth ranks the university #695 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 33% of the published cost, an offset of $10,363 that leaves an of $21,279. That figure sits $5,645 above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Published in-state tuition and fees are $13,373, while out-of-state tuition and fees are $34,783. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $20,000, which is $76 below the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

87.4% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years.

Parent PLUS borrowers have median borrowing of $36,000.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$15,905

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Federal borrowing is common at Colorado State University-Fort Collins, where an estimated 87.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among federal-loan borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $20,000 at completion.

The median is below the $20,076 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size), by $76. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $36,000.

For federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, Colorado State University-Fort Collins shows a solid return picture four years after completion. Median earnings are $67,911, which Azimuth places in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $1,875 more than the model expects for similar students. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, falls in the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The modeled program-mix scenarios run from $47,896 in the downside case to $92,453 in the upside case, with the typical scenario matching the median earnings figure. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $20,000, below the $20,076 median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $76.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings and lower debt relative to peers point the same way.

For parents who borrowed through Parent PLUS, median borrowing was $36,000, a separate parent-borrower population. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$20,000
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$36,000

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$227/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$457/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
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / Colorado State University-Fort Collins briefing

Colorado State University-Fort Collins career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Colorado State University-Fort Collins posts a return picture above model expectations and comparable peers. Azimuth places its return pillar in the 68th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $1,875 more than the model expects for similar students. That earnings-beyond-expectations result is in the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $11,343. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $9,468.

Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $3,676. Four years after completion, median earnings are $67,911, in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $65,610; the university sits $2,301 above it. The model and peer comparisons point in the same direction.

At $67,911, Colorado State University-Fort Collins’s federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled reach median earnings four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, from a cohort of 5,203 completers.

Graduates earn about $1,875 more than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios based on the program mix place typical earnings at $67,911, with a downside scenario of $47,896 and an upside scenario of $92,453.

An estimated 31.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The above-expected result and earnings standing point in the same direction.

Federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $67,911 four years after completion, at the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median sits $2,301 above the $65,610 median reported for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks Colorado State University-Fort Collins #466 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions nationally. Graduates earn about $1,875 more than the model expects for similar students.

That result sits at the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $11,343 to the gap.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $9,468 from the overall gap. Within the measured factors, the STEM component alone adds $3,676 to the total.

The degrees awarded cluster in business, the biological sciences, engineering and other fields, and 32.2% of those degrees awarded are in STEM. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $47,896 on the downside to $92,453 on the upside overall.

An estimated 31.7% of graduates continue on to graduate study, based on the program mix and not on observed enrollment.

Outcomes vary widely by field, with a downside earnings scenario of $47,896 and an upside scenario of $92,453. These are scenarios based on the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. The spread makes the choice of field especially consequential here.

Borrowers who complete at Colorado State University-Fort Collins leave with median federal student loan debt of $20,000. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $20,076, so the university’s figure is below it by $76.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years. 87.4% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans, while Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate parent-borrower population, have median debt of $36,000.

Graduates earn about $1,875 more than the model expects for similar students. For aid recipients, the average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $21,279.

It is above the $15,634 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,645. Lower debt than peers and higher-than-expected earnings point in the same direction, though the net price sits above the peer median.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$11,343
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$9,468
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$1,875

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / Colorado State University-Fort Collins briefing

Colorado State University-Fort Collins acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

Colorado State University-Fort Collins had an admission rate of 88.5% for its entering class, so most applicants in that pool received an offer. For comparison, this was above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Admissions
Admission rate
88.5%
Read the full admissions brief

04 / Colorado State University-Fort Collins briefing

What are the largest majors at Colorado State University-Fort Collins?[12]

The program picture ranges from higher to moderate earnings, so field choice matters at Colorado State University-Fort Collins. Computer and Information Sciences reports median earnings of $114,076 four years after completion and 189 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #31 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

Zoology/Animal Biology reaches $44,226 and awarded 200 degrees; Azimuth ranks it #9 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. At the more moderate end, Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management reports $52,971 and 75 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #4 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

Interior Architecture shows $61,894 with 45 degrees awarded, and Azimuth ranks it #6 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

The program roster pairs several highly ranked fields with markedly different earnings levels, so the intended field matters. Azimuth ranks 40 bachelor's programs nationally among programs in their fields, and published earnings cover 47 programs.

Zoology/Animal Biology ranks #9 nationally, with 200 degrees awarded and median earnings of $44,226. Azimuth is the source for each national rank.

Colorado State University-Fort Collins awards bachelor's degrees across a wide set of fields, with 40 programs holding an Azimuth national rank and 47 carrying published four-year earnings data. The degree mix is led by the Biological Sciences family, which accounts for 14.1% of degrees awarded, with Business next at 13.0% and Engineering at 10.3%.

The largest program with published earnings is Business Administration and Management, at 651 degrees awarded, followed by Biology at 318 and Psychology at 256. The strongest programs by national rank are spread across several fields.

Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management is the highest-ranked, at #4 nationally and #1 in Colorado within its field. It awards 75 degrees a year and its graduates earn a median of $52,971 four years after completion.

Interior Architecture ranks #6 nationally and #1 in Colorado within its field. Zoology/Animal Biology ranks #9 nationally and #1 in Colorado within its field.

It awards 200 degrees a year, and its graduates earn a median of $44,226 four years after completion. Computer and Information Sciences is the highest-earning program, at $114,076, with a benchmark ratio of 1.24x against the national median for its field and a state rank of #1 in Colorado.

The pattern is one of strength in both large and small programs, with highly ranked offerings in fields as different as recreation management, zoology, and interior architecture. The highest earnings are concentrated in computing and engineering, while the largest programs by degrees awarded sit in business and the biological sciences, where earnings are more moderate. Across all fields, 32.2% of degrees awarded are in STEM.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Business Administration, Management and Operations 651 degrees awarded
$79,256
Biology, General 318 degrees awarded
$60,981
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services 261 degrees awarded
Too few graduates to report
Psychology, General 256 degrees awarded
$54,268
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 207 degrees awarded
$60,835
Zoology/Animal Biology 200 degrees awarded
$44,226

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

05 / Colorado State University-Fort Collins briefing

How does Colorado State University-Fort Collins serve students from different backgrounds?

Completion stands out in the mobility picture: the six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort is 66.5%, above the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions in the same type and size, of 65.0%. Pell recipients in that cohort complete at 64.2%, below the overall rate by 2.3 percentage points.

Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 93rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,875 more than the model expects for similar students.

Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sit in the 62nd percentile nationally. Strong completion and above-expected earnings point in the same direction.

Colorado State University-Fort Collins offers a broad entry point, admitting 88.5% of applicants. Its undergraduate enrollment is 25,538 undergraduates, giving the access picture a large scale.

Pell Grants reach 21.1% of undergraduates, and an estimated 22.6% enter as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth places the access pillar in the 64th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Broad admission and transfer entry sit alongside a solid national access standing.

06 / Colorado State University-Fort Collins briefing

What colleges are similar to Colorado State University-Fort Collins?[15]

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.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with Colorado State University-Fort Collins.

Admissions peerRegis University86.5% admitted
Comparison with Colorado State University-Fort Collins
MeasureColorado State University-Fort CollinsRegis University
Peer earnings · 4 years$67,911$81,785+$13,874 vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Average annual net price$21,279$18,397-$2,882 vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins · lower cost
Admission rate88.5%86.5%
Higher-admission alternativeMetropolitan State University of Denver98.8% admitted
Comparison with Colorado State University-Fort Collins
MeasureColorado State University-Fort CollinsMetropolitan State University of Denver
Peer earnings · 4 years$67,911$60,186-$7,725 vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Average annual net price$21,279$15,327-$5,952 vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins · lower cost
Admission rate88.5%98.8%
Explore Metropolitan State University of Denver →
Nearby alternativeUniversity of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusNearby option · CO
Comparison with Colorado State University-Fort Collins
MeasureColorado State University-Fort CollinsUniversity of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
Peer earnings · 4 years$67,911$74,059+$6,148 vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Average annual net price$21,279$11,900-$9,379 vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins · lower cost
Admission rate88.5%74.7%
Explore University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus →
Higher-earnings alternativeCal Poly Maritime Academy$108,757 earnings
Comparison with Colorado State University-Fort Collins
MeasureColorado State University-Fort CollinsCal Poly Maritime Academy
Peer earnings · 4 years$67,911$108,757+$40,846 vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Average annual net price$21,279$20,555-$724 vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins · lower cost
Admission rate88.5%95.0%
Explore Cal Poly Maritime Academy →
Lower-cost alternativeUniversity of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus$11,900 average net price
Comparison with Colorado State University-Fort Collins
MeasureColorado State University-Fort CollinsUniversity of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
Peer earnings · 4 years$67,911$74,059+$6,148 vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Average annual net price$21,279$11,900-$9,379 vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins · lower cost
Admission rate88.5%74.7%
Explore University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus →
Similar profileUniversity of California-Santa BarbaraMatched across several measures
Comparison with Colorado State University-Fort Collins
MeasureColorado State University-Fort CollinsUniversity of California-Santa Barbara
Peer earnings · 4 years$67,911$70,323+$2,412 vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Average annual net price$21,279$16,109-$5,170 vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins · lower cost
Admission rate88.5%33.0%
Explore University of California-Santa Barbara →

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

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

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, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. 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; 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

  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

  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

  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

  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

  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

How to interpret program rankings