Best Online Colleges in Colorado
for 2023

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Online colleges in Colorado are on the rise. Since the Covid-19 pandemic descended on the state, Colorado's colleges and universities have responded by increasing their online degree offerings. This helps students take advantage of Colorado's strong economy, which is adding to its labor force all the time. As of this writing, the state had added 4.4% to its total non-farm workforce during recent months and years. When a Colorado worker is able to complete a quality college education, they can position themselves for higher salaries and greater long-term success.

These school rankings are intended to help prospective students find the best distance learning or online degree programs in Colorado. Researchers have thoroughly considered the data to find the programs that offer the best online courses for associate degree to master’s degree seekers. Thus, students who make smart use of these rankings can stay in their Colorado hometown and take advantage of degree programs statewide.

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Online Higher Education in Colorado

The average tuition for a Colorado resident who attends one of the state's colleges or universities is just over $7,000. This number factors in private institutions, such as Colorado College, which posts gross tuition costs of over $60,000. However, for students who stay within the state's robust publicly funded system of colleges and universities, tuition rates are reasonable. One of the most expensive colleges in Colorado is the Colorado School of Mines, which charges Colorado residents $19,000 per year in tuition and fees. However, the School of Mines provides highly specialized degrees that can propel students into lucrative careers. Additionally, the School of Mines and many other public Colorado colleges and universities offer online education.

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Though Colorado does not offer statistics on the gross tuition costs of online education versus traditional courses, certain factors remain. That is, online education offers a more affordable route to a diploma by virtue of its inherent flexibility. One key difference is that students in an online college degree program can live wherever they like. While the average living costs for a Colorado resident are up to $25,000, that number was taken from a limited number of cities and towns. While going to school in Denver may sound fun, it's also expensive. Meanwhile, with online education, students can take courses that originate in Denver while living in their hometown where the cost of living may be far lower.

Online college degree programs also allow students another financial advantage. That is the ability to work while still going to school. Students may find work in their major field, thus accruing valuable experience while still in school. While traditional campus students may have internship opportunities, it can be more valuable to accrue time as a paid employee. Furthermore, students who can work full-time are likely to have benefits on top of their salary.

Our School Rankings Methodology

When it comes to ranking the best online colleges in Colorado, researchers need to assemble a consistent set of statistics they can compare. Naturally, one of the chief criteria our researchers looked for in this instance is whether a school offered online college degrees. This ensures that every comparable Colorado college or university is of the same sort. From that point, researchers searched out the graduation rate, retention rate, costs, reputation, and student to faculty ratio for each school.

The retention and graduation rates may be two of the chief concerns when it comes to assessing a school's academic value. The retention rate measures that institution's ability to hold onto its first-time, full-time students from their first year into their second. When students return to a school for a second year, it’s certain that they have found high value in the institution's faculty, curriculum, and campus resources. Naturally, the graduation rate indicates how many students are loyal enough to stick around and graduate within the normal time frame, which is now about six years.

What are the Best Online Associate & Community College Programs in Colorado?

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Community colleges offer Colorado students a terrific educational value, especially those that offer online associate degree programs. Community colleges tend to offer college courses at dramatically reduced costs compared to four-year Colorado colleges and universities. The online option makes those rates more attractive when students find that they needn't move in order to take advantage of an online associate degree program.

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Where in the past many community college credits wouldn't transfer to a four-year institution, most public colleges and universities have worked with community colleges to ensure that credits will transfer more easily these days. Our researchers have taken this issue in to consideration, on top of assessing the usual academic statistics to determine the best online community college programs in Colorado. Check them out now to find a great community college for you.

Morgan Community College
College Type
4-year, primarily associate's, Public		 Student Population
1,266		 Graduation Rate
47%		 Net Price
$7,402		 Grads Salary
$37,200
Arapahoe Community College
College Type
4-year, primarily associate's, Public		 Student Population
12,759		 Graduation Rate
26%		 Net Price
$9,923		 Grads Salary
$38,100
Colorado Northwestern Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Student Population
1,112		 Graduation Rate
35%		 Net Price
$12,114		 Grads Salary
$38,400
Trinidad State Junior College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Student Population
1,621		 Graduation Rate
56%		 Net Price
$11,200		 Grads Salary
$27,000
Front Range Community College
College Type
4-year, primarily associate's, Public		 Student Population
18,703		 Graduation Rate
23%		 Net Price
$9,165		 Grads Salary
$35,700
Lamar Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Student Population
849		 Graduation Rate
41%		 Net Price
$10,692		 Grads Salary
$33,600
Community College of Denver
College Type
4-year, primarily associate's, Public		 Student Population
7,273		 Graduation Rate
18%		 Net Price
$10,002		 Grads Salary
$36,000
Pikes Peak Community College
College Type
4-year, primarily associate's, Public		 Student Population
12,506		 Graduation Rate
17%		 Net Price
$9,994		 Grads Salary
$36,000

What are the Best Online College Programs in Colorado?

Best Online Colleges In Colorado
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Students are increasingly choosing the online college degree option in Colorado. Since the pandemic essentially forced this option on many students, they have found that online education has much to offer. For one thing, students often find that they have better access to their instructors, since email goes directly to the instructor who can take more time to elaborate on their answer, perhaps including links to additional resources and more.

Students can use our guide to the best online colleges and universities in Colorado for assistance in determining the best bachelor’s degree program for them. We evaluate each online program for its accreditation, cost, reputation, academic performance, and long-term outlook for graduates. When students use our rankings in conjunction with their personal degree choices, and other preferences, they are sure to find the very best Colorado online college program for them.

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University of Colorado Boulder
College Type
4-year, Public		 Student Population
37,437		 Graduation Rate
72%		 Net Price
$21,198		 Grads Salary
$76,700
Colorado State University
College Type
4-year, Public		 Student Population
32,428		 Graduation Rate
70%		 Net Price
$17,609		 Grads Salary
$70,000
Regis University
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit		 Student Population
6,310		 Graduation Rate
67%		 Net Price
$27,785		 Grads Salary
$83,000
Aspen University
College Type
4-year, Private for-profit		 Student Population
9,563		 Graduation Rate
18%		 Net Price
$11,779		 Grads Salary
$88,000
University of Colorado Denver
College Type
4-year, Public		 Student Population
24,723		 Graduation Rate
44%		 Net Price
$15,585		 Grads Salary
$73,000
University of Northern Colorado
College Type
4-year, Public		 Student Population
11,460		 Graduation Rate
52%		 Net Price
$16,510		 Grads Salary
$67,000
Colorado Technical University
College Type
4-year, Private for-profit		 Student Population
28,244		 Graduation Rate
23%		 Net Price
$17,048		 Grads Salary
$88,000
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
College Type
4-year, Public		 Student Population
12,380		 Graduation Rate
45%		 Net Price
$15,852		 Grads Salary
$67,000
University of Denver
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit		 Student Population
13,856		 Graduation Rate
75%		 Net Price
$38,322		 Grads Salary
$72,000
Colorado State University Pueblo
College Type
4-year, Public		 Student Population
5,925		 Graduation Rate
37%		 Net Price
$13,388		 Grads Salary
$62,800
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