Colorado School of Mines: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Colorado School of Mines is a public college in Golden, CO. Students pay about $28,690 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $97,335 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 2.7 years and adds $368,590 over a decade, ranking it #27 of 918 (top 4%) by value added.
What is Colorado School of Mines's acceptance rate?
Colorado School of Mines has an acceptance rate of 60.7%, which makes it moderately selective. It is a public institution in Golden, CO enrolling about 6,155 students, with a 80.9% graduation rate.
How much does Colorado School of Mines cost?
Colorado School of Mines costs about $28,690 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $137,760. Published sticker cost of attendance is $40,560 per year.
How much do Colorado School of Mines graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Colorado School of Mines student earns $97,335 per year. That is $50,635 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Colorado School of Mines worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Colorado School of Mines pays back its roughly $137,760 cost in about 2.7 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $368,590 net of cost, a 3.68x return on the money invested. That ranks it #27 of 918 (top 4%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
Colorado School of Mines graduation rate and student debt
80.9% of Colorado School of Mines students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $23,000 in federal student debt. That debt is about 24% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Colorado School of Mines by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Colorado School of Mines compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $28,690 | $20,299 | cheaper than 21% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $97,335 | $54,768 | 97th |
| Graduation rate | 80.9% | 57.0% | 89th |
| Acceptance rate | 60.7% | 75.7% | more selective than 74% |
| 10-yr value added | $368,590 | -$28,192 | 97th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 3.68x | 0.73x | 94th |
| Payback period | 2.7 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 92% |
How Colorado School of Mines compares with its nearest rivals
Colorado School of Mines ranks #27 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 3 of them cost less per year and 2 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Colorado School of Mines is a public college in Golden, CO with 6,155 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $40,560 a year, but the average aided family pays $28,690, a 29% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $23,000, equal to 24% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Admission is broadly accessible at Colorado School of Mines, which admits 60.7% of applicants, so cost and completion decide its value more than selectivity does.
- Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH; #26 of 918; 95.8% graduate) costs $829 more per year ($29,519 net), and its graduates earn about the same ten years out ($97,434). Dartmouth College adds $3,174 more ten-year value than Colorado School of Mines. Dartmouth College pays back its cost in 2.7 years.
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, MA; #28 of 918; 89.1% graduate) costs $14,381 more per year ($43,071 net), and its graduates earn $6,135 more ten years out ($103,470). Colorado School of Mines adds $174 more ten-year value than Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Worcester Polytechnic Institute pays back its cost in 3.5 years.
- California State University Maritime Academy (Vallejo, CA; #25 of 918; 63.3% graduate) costs $8,135 less per year ($20,555 net), and its graduates earn $2,551 less ten years out ($94,784). California State University Maritime Academy adds $5,065 more ten-year value than Colorado School of Mines. California State University Maritime Academy pays back its cost in 2.2 years.
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, CA; #29 of 918; 85.7% graduate) costs $12,025 less per year ($16,665 net), and its graduates earn $6,567 less ten years out ($90,768). Colorado School of Mines adds $13,070 more ten-year value than California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo pays back its cost in 1.9 years.
- Washington and Lee University (Lexington, VA; #29 of 918; 94.4% graduate) costs $4,909 less per year ($23,781 net), and its graduates earn $2,525 less ten years out ($94,810). Colorado School of Mines adds $2,114 more ten-year value than Washington and Lee University. Washington and Lee University pays back its cost in 2.4 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California State University Maritime Academy | #25 | $20,555 | $94,784 | 63.3% | $373,655 |
| Dartmouth College | #26 | $29,519 | $97,434 | 95.8% | $371,764 |
| Colorado School of Mines | #27 | $28,690 | $97,335 | 80.9% | $368,590 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | #28 | $43,071 | $103,470 | 89.1% | $368,416 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | #29 | $16,665 | $90,768 | 85.7% | $355,520 |
| Washington and Lee University | #29 | $23,781 | $94,810 | 94.4% | $366,476 |
Paying for Colorado School of Mines
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Colorado School of Mines worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Colorado School of Mines ranks #27 of 918 (top 4%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 3.68x the money invested over a decade.
Is Colorado School of Mines expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $28,690 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 21% of them.
Do Colorado School of Mines graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $97,335 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 97% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Colorado School of Mines compared to other colleges?
Its 60.7% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 74% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.