1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [University of Colorado Colorado Springs](/school/university-of-colorado-colorado-springs/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # University of Colorado Colorado Springs Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/university-of-colorado-colorado-springs/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-colorado-colorado-springs/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/university-of-colorado-colorado-springs/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-colorado-colorado-springs/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-colorado-colorado-springs/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do University of Colorado Colorado Springs graduates earn? The reported median is $62,980 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is $5,679 per year. Azimuth places the return pillar for University of Colorado Colorado Springs at the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completion, the median for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled is $62,980, in the 60th percentile. That median is $5,679 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $4,362 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 70th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,990. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $1,628. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,348. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $45,999 on the downside to $86,954 on the upside, with $62,980 as the typical scenario. These are scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. At the program level, Computer Engineering graduates earn $121,678 four years after completion, from 11 degrees awarded. Electrical Engineering follows at $113,627 from 24 degrees, and Computer Science at $97,001 from 71 degrees. An estimated 32.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $62,980 **Rank for difference from expectations** 70th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **University of Colorado Colorado Springs reported median** $62,980 **Peer schools comparable schools · $5,679 below University of Colorado Colorado Springs** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $4,362 below University of Colorado Colorado Springs** $58,618 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $45,999 to $86,954, around the reported median of $62,980. Compare the lower scenario with [University of Colorado Colorado Springs borrowing and monthly payments](/school/university-of-colorado-colorado-springs/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $45,999 **Median · reported** $62,980 **Higher estimate** $86,954 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do University of Colorado Colorado Springs graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). University of Colorado Colorado Springs graduates’ reported earnings are $4,362 above that expectation, the 70th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending University of Colorado Colorado Springs caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$5,990 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$1,628 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$4,362 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at University of Colorado Colorado Springs report the highest earnings? The highest-earning programs at University of Colorado Colorado Springs are in engineering and computer science. Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $121,678 four years after completion, though the program awards only 11 degrees a year. Electrical Engineering follows at $113,627 with 24 degrees awarded. The largest programs sit at more moderate earnings levels. Business Administration and Management awards 328 degrees a year and posts a median of $66,553. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #148 nationally within its field. Psychology, with 173 degrees awarded, reports $48,725 and a national rank of #214. Nursing bridges the two groups: it awards 200 degrees a year, and its median earnings of $78,904 are the highest among the five largest programs. Azimuth ranks it #244 nationally in its field. Business accounts for 16.5% of bachelor's degrees awarded, ahead of Health Professions at 12.5%. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 21 programs nationally, with earnings data available for 22 fields. The largest program is Business Administration and Management, at 328 degrees awarded and median earnings of $66,553 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks it #148 nationally and #4 in Colorado. The highest-earning program is Computer Engineering, with median earnings of $121,678 from 11 degrees awarded. Electrical Engineering follows at $113,627, and Computer Science at $97,001 from 71 degrees. The best nationally ranked program is Visual and Performing Arts, which Azimuth ranks #23 in its field. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Computer Engineering** $121,678 **Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering** $113,627 **Computer Science** $97,001 **Mechanical Engineering** $91,192 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $78,904 **Economics** $75,209 **Mathematics** $69,992 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $66,553 [Explore University of Colorado Colorado Springs program cohorts and field ranks](/school/university-of-colorado-colorado-springs/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from a downside of $45,999 to a typical outcome of $62,980 and an upside of $86,954. The spread shows that field of study matters considerably. At the high end, Computer Engineering graduates earn $121,678 four years after completion. Among the largest programs, Psychology sits at the lower end at $48,725. The median for federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled is $62,980 four years after finishing a degree at University of Colorado Colorado Springs. That figure comes from 2,099 graduates in the earnings cohort. It sits $5,679 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places that median in the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,362 more than the model expects for similar students. That result falls at the 70th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, run from $45,999 on the downside to $86,954 on the upside, with $62,980 as the typical outcome. An estimated 32.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).