Colorado State: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes

Colorado State is a public institution located in Fort Collins, Colorado. For the most recent reporting cycle, Colorado State admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 89%. Admitted students typically post an ACT composite around 26. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $21,279 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.

What GPA does my child need for Colorado State?

65% of enrolled students at Colorado State had a high school GPA of 3.50 or above, and the average was 3.7, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.

What does Colorado State weight in admissions?

Colorado State reports these factor weights in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). What the weights mean

How Colorado State reads an application: what each weighting means for your child, plus waitlist, transfer and early-round odds

SAT and ACT scores Colorado State typically admits

Many applicants to schools in this tier submit test scores, though the policy varies by year, so check the latest test-optional status before deciding.

Where admitted students ranked in their high school class

Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort, often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.

How much does Colorado State actually cost?

Published tuition is $13,373 for in-state students and $34,783 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $16,817 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $21,279 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 21% of students receive Pell Grants.

Application deadlines and early decision data for Colorado State

Will my child graduate from Colorado State?

These predict outcomes at Colorado State better than its acceptance rate does. How to read retention and graduation rates

Most popular majors at Colorado State

The most popular undergraduate programs at Colorado State, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Biology, General and Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services. Across all programs, Colorado State confers roughly 2,263 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Business Administration, Management and Operations program report a median income of about $78,287 five years after entering college. What these figures mean

Is Colorado State safe? Campus crime & safety

In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Colorado State disclosed 64 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.5 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 6 violent offenses and 34 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts

What is campus life like at Colorado State?

About 27% of undergraduates at Colorado State live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 6% of men join a fraternity and 8% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.

Other colleges in Colorado parents ask about

• University of Denver
  78% acceptance
• University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
  75% acceptance
• University of Colorado Colorado Springs
  97% acceptance
• Colorado College
  18% acceptance
• Colorado School of Mines
  61% acceptance
• University of Colorado Boulder
  78% acceptance

Colleges that admit at a similar rate

• Johnson & Wales University-Providence
  88% acceptance · Rhode Island
• Southern Oregon University
  89% acceptance · Oregon

Common questions parents ask about Colorado State