Colorado College: the complete school report for parents

What does Colorado College actually weigh in admissions?

Colorado College rates none of the 18 factors "Very Important". Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Colorado College's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What GPA do admitted students actually have?

68% of enrolled students had a 3.75 GPA or above. The average was 3.93 on a 4 scale, reported for 87.06% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.

What is the Colorado College waitlist really like?

Colorado College offered a place on its waiting list to 400 applicants and 90 accepted one. 20 were ultimately admitted. That is 22.2% of those who waited.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

Colorado College admitted 40.7% of 177 transfer applicants, against 22.1% of first-year applicants. For a student who does not get in at eighteen, the transfer route is a genuinely wider door and worth planning for deliberately.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

Applying Early Decision changes the odds materially: 35.6% of ED applicants were admitted against 22.1% overall, a gap of 14 points. ED is binding, so that advantage costs the ability to compare financial-aid offers.

What does my child need to take in high school?

Colorado College requires 16 academic units and recommends 20. A college-preparatory program is recommended.

What will Colorado College actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $33,375 a year at Colorado College after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $75,702. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 100% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 37 merit awards averaging $9,466 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

31% of Colorado College graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $24,659 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $194 a month in repayment. Colorado College’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from Colorado College pay off?

Graduates earn a median $65,222 ten years after entering, and $47,611 at six years. 76% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 89% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

Will my child actually graduate?

93% of first-years return for a second year. 74% graduate within four years and 86% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 85.7% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 86.4% of everyone else, a gap of 0.7 points.

How big are the classes?

75% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 0% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 9:1, and 80% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Higher Learning Commission.

What is life at Colorado College like?

1,887 undergraduates, 81% of first-years from out of state. 100% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 76% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 12% of men join a fraternity and 14% of women a sorority. 18% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $73,737.

What this means for your student

• 68% of enrolled students are at a 3.75 GPA or above, averaging 3.93. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
• Early Decision is worth 14 points of admit rate, but it is binding and removes any ability to compare aid offers.
• The waitlist is live but thin: 20 of 90 who waited were admitted, about 22%.
• If the first-year answer is no, the transfer route is genuinely wider here and worth planning for from the first semester of college.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about Colorado College

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