Skip to content
College Ledger

Statement · Boulder, CO

University of Colorado Boulder

Public4-year · Bachelor's degreesCompare with other schools →

  1. Families earning under $30k paid $14,231 a year after grants and aid, against a published cost of $37,684.

  2. Students who received federal aid earned a median $69,738 ten years after entering, the 90th percentile among public 4-years.

  3. 74% of students finish within 150% of normal time.

Founded
1876
Enrollment, 2023
44,787
Website
colorado.edu
Campus of University of Colorado Boulder

MECU (MECU≈talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0

AboutAmerican public research university. Wikipedia ↗

Read the Wikipedia extract

The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University of Colorado system. CU Boulder is a member of the Association of American Universities, is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and has been referred to as a Public Ivy.

From the Wikipedia article “University of Colorado Boulder”, revision 1363569570, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.

What it costs

The published sticker cost is $37,684 a year; after grants, families who received aid paid between $14,231 and $34,818 a year depending on income at University of Colorado Boulder.

Statement of cost · University of Colorado Boulder

Family income (per year)
Sticker costPublished yearly cost of attendance, all students
$37,684
What families earning under $30k paidYearly net price after grants, for students receiving federal aid
$14,231
Average net price, all incomesAided students, all family incomes
$25,346
In-state tuition & feesLatest reported, 2024
$15,666

Each figure is reported separately; none is computed from another.

Net price by family income

Pick an income bracket above; the marked point follows. Dollars are what aided families paid each year after grants.

Yearly net price by family income, in dollars

under $30k: $14,231; $30–48k: $14,381; $48–75k: $18,828; $75–110k: $26,915; over $110k: $34,818. Shaded band: middle half of public 4-years, from $8,778 to $16,425; dotted line at the median, $12,780.
  • Shaded: the middle half of public 4-years (all incomes), $8,778 to $16,425. Dotted line: the median, $12,780.
Table of the same numbers
Average yearly net price by family income bracket
Family incomePaid per year
Under $30k$14,231
$30k–$48k$14,381
$48k–$75k$18,828
$75k–$110k$26,915
Over $110k$34,818

College Scorecard, 2023–24 aid cohort (students who received federal aid)

What graduates earn and owe

Ten years after entry, the median federally aided student here earns $69,738; the median graduate who borrowed owes $19,500.

Statement, continued

Earnings, 6 years after entryFederally aided (Title IV) students only. Median.
$54,939
Earnings, 8 years after entryFederally aided (Title IV) students only. Median.
$64,625
Median earnings 10 years after entryFederally aided (Title IV) students only. Median.
90th percentile among public 4-years
$69,738
Median debt, graduatesStudents who finished and borrowed federal loans.
49th percentile among public 4-years
$19,500
Median debt, all who borrowedEveryone who borrowed, whether or not they finished.
$13,000

Earnings and debt come from federal aid records, so students who never received federal aid are not counted.

Earnings after entry

The shaded band is the middle half of public 4-years at 10 years: $42,655 to $60,720.

6 yrs after entry: $54,939; 8 yrs after entry: $64,625; 10 yrs after entry: $69,738. Median graduate debt: $19,500. Shaded band: middle half of public 4-years at 10 years, from $42,655 to $60,720; dotted line at the median, $50,178.
  • Shaded: middle half of public 4-years, 10 years out ($42,655 to $60,720); dotted line is the median.
  • Dashed: median graduate debt, $19,500.

Earnings cover federally aided (Title IV) students only. Hollow marks are rungs with no reported value, not zero.

Table of the same numbers
Earnings after entry and graduate debt
MeasureDollars
Median earnings, 6 yrs after entry$54,939
Median earnings, 8 yrs after entry$64,625
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry$69,738
Median graduate debt$19,500

College Scorecard, federal tax and aid records

What programs pay

Median earnings five years after completing, by field of study. Small programs are privacy-suppressed and shown as not reported, never zero.

What programs pay at University of Colorado Boulder
ProgramCredentialGraduatesEarnings, 5 yrsMedian debt
Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's Degree1,201$91,156$21,500
Psychology, GeneralBachelor's Degree585$58,599$20,500
Computer ScienceBachelor's Degree483$122,521$19,974
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's Degree411not reported$19,433
Physiology, Pathology and Related SciencesBachelor's Degree351$67,874$20,330
Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's Degree309$114,292not reported
Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's Degree281$74,672$19,500
EconomicsBachelor's Degree272$79,838$17,119
Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's Degree262$91,715$20,500
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringMaster's Degree233$136,752not reported
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space EngineeringBachelor's Degree218$103,431$25,039
Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's Degree206$63,863$21,000
Show all 24 programs
Remaining programs
ProgramCredentialGraduatesEarnings, 5 yrsMedian debt
Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's Degree201$66,999$17,500
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population BiologyBachelor's Degree194$55,519$23,331
SociologyBachelor's Degree191$59,670$17,819
LawFirst Professional Degree171$100,964not reported
Computer ScienceMaster's Degree162$140,315not reported
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space EngineeringMaster's Degree157$128,911not reported
Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBachelor's Degree147$69,375$21,900
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical SciencesBachelor's Degree146$63,623$17,889
Engineering, GeneralMaster's Degree68$154,338not reported
Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsMaster's Degree93not reportednot reported
Mechanical EngineeringMaster's Degree111$116,303not reported
Computer EngineeringBachelor's Degreenot reported$107,650$23,000

Source: College Scorecard field-of-study data.

Who goes here

University of Colorado Boulder: 31,939 undergraduates; 14% of students receive Pell grants; 78% of applicants are admitted.

Admission rate

78%

40th percentile among public 4-years

Undergraduates

31,939

95th percentile among public 4-years

Pell share

14%

of undergraduates receive Pell grants

6th percentile among public 4-years

Completion

74%

finish within 150% of normal time

91st percentile among public 4-years

First-generation

20%

parents did not attend college

Median family income

$70,221

92nd percentile among public 4-years

Students by family income

Share of students in each family-income bracket, for students who received federal aid.

  • Under $30k19%
  • $30k–$48k12%
  • $48k–$75k15%
  • $75k–$110k15%
  • Over $110k40%
Show as a table
Students by family income
Family incomeShare of students
Under $30k19%
$30k–$48k12%
$48k–$75k15%
$75k–$110k15%
Over $110k40%

Who Wikipedia remembers

Wikidata records 3,941 people who studied at University of Colorado Boulder, most often in science & academia (59%). That is the archive's memory, not a census.

What the recorded alumni are remembered for

Share of recorded people by field, in a fixed order so schools compare.

Fields of the people the archive recorded for this school, in a fixed order: science & academia 59% (2,052 people); medicine 0.5% (19 people); law 1.3% (44 people); politics & gov 2.8% (97 people); business 1.4% (50 people); engineering & tech 3.2% (111 people); writing & journalism 3.3% (115 people); film & stage 2.0% (68 people); music 1.2% (42 people); visual arts 1.4% (50 people); sports 23% (790 people); religion 0.1% (2 people); military 1.0% (34 people). These are shares of people recorded in Wikidata, the archive's memory, not a census of alumni.
Table of the same numbers
Fields of the people the archive recorded for this school (the archive's memory, not a census)
FieldPeople recordedShare
science & academia2,05259.1%
medicine190.5%
law441.3%
politics & gov972.8%
business501.4%
engineering & tech1113.2%
writing & journalism1153.3%
film & stage682.0%
music421.2%
visual arts501.4%
sports79022.7%
religion20.1%
military341.0%

Source: Wikidata, via the archive's memory (not a census).

most recorded occupationsresearcher (1,325) · basketball player (577) · university teacher (438) · American football player (142) · politician (91) · mathematician (73) · writer (65) · physicist (50)

Women among recorded alumni, by birth decade

Counts reflect who the archive records, not a census.

Share of women among recorded alumni, from 11% for the 1870s to 38% for the 2000s. Decades with fewer than 5 recorded people are not drawn, and 1 decade is marked not reported for women. The line breaks at every decade not drawn.

Counts only people the archive records with a gender. Hollow marks are decades with no women reported or fewer than 5 recorded, not zero.

Table of the same numbers
Recorded alumni by birth decade
BornWomenMenShare women
1850snot reported1not reported
1860s21not reported
1870s1811%
1880s41620%
1890s41029%
1900s82425%
1910s42813%
1920s154525%
1930s147915%
1940s3510425%
1950s3712922%
1960s389628%
1970s409230%
1980s389329%
1990s466641%
2000s213538%

Source: Wikidata, via the archive's memory (not a census).

Wikipedia attention, by month

Wikipedia attention

monthly views

Monthly Wikipedia article views from 2015-07 to 2026-06; peak 97,904 in 2023-09.
Table of the same numbers
Wikipedia article views by month
MonthViews
2026-069,665
2026-0511,559
2026-0412,182
2026-0311,533
2026-0210,621
2026-0113,659
2025-1212,815
2025-1113,962
2025-1015,886
2025-0921,608
2025-0817,432
2025-0713,827
2025-0613,357
2025-0515,048
2025-0418,530
2025-0323,699
2025-0214,608
2025-0118,905
2024-1221,403
2024-1121,607
2024-1020,696
2024-0926,331
2024-0821,919
2024-0717,337
2024-0614,292
2024-0517,377
2024-0417,559
2024-0320,952
2024-0216,782
2024-0121,283
2023-1220,217
2023-1122,094
2023-1027,781
2023-0997,904
2023-0829,407
2023-0724,415
2023-0618,270
2023-0520,827
2023-0419,931
2023-0322,493
2023-0221,177
2023-0125,607
2022-1240,174
2022-1119,532
2022-1019,129
2022-0919,788
2022-0820,232
2022-0718,330
2022-0615,510
2022-0516,914
2022-0418,457
2022-0318,675
2022-0216,177
2022-0119,861
2021-1217,970
2021-1119,069
2021-1020,329
2021-0922,437
2021-0822,309
2021-0722,038
2021-0613,612
2021-0515,420
2021-0417,024
2021-0323,860
2021-0219,685
2021-0118,158
2020-1218,782
2020-1117,956
2020-1018,307
2020-0915,764
2020-0816,641
2020-0716,499
2020-0614,755
2020-0519,937
2020-0423,007
2020-0319,170
2020-0219,508
2020-0122,900
2019-1222,496
2019-1122,564
2019-1028,082
2019-0925,605
2019-0823,833
2019-0720,303
2019-0618,499
2019-0521,566
2019-0421,686
2019-0323,264
2019-0219,820
2019-0126,036
2018-1222,050
2018-1124,666
2018-1027,291
2018-0927,336
2018-0826,211
2018-0722,050
2018-0619,569
2018-0522,103
2018-0422,745
2018-0323,674
2018-0218,656
2018-0120,886
2017-1218,805
2017-1121,938
2017-1022,853
2017-0922,271
2017-0819,854
2017-0716,371
2017-0616,120
2017-0518,185
2017-0419,867
2017-0321,132
2017-0217,994
2017-0119,236
2016-1222,064
2016-1124,560
2016-1024,595
2016-0925,341
2016-0820,123
2016-0716,075
2016-0615,149
2016-0517,223
2016-0417,091
2016-0319,369
2016-0215,447
2016-0116,962
2015-1215,833
2015-1119,715
2015-1019,949
2015-0918,548
2015-0817,665
2015-0715,803

Source: Wikimedia pageviews.

Nobel laureates who studied here

  • Sidney Altman Chemistry 1989
  • Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Peace 2011

The portrait wall

Similar schools

These are the nearest neighbors in the same sector. The list is not an ordering.

Sources & caveats

Figures come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Built 2026-07-17.

not reported
Not reported: suppressed for privacy or never collected. It is not zero, and nothing has been filled in.
Percentiles
A percentile compares this school with others in its own sector (for example, public 4-year schools). It describes position, not quality.
Earnings
Earnings cover students who received federal (Title IV) aid, measured from the year they entered. Students who never received federal aid are not included.
Provenance notes
  • U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard, 2026-06 release. Earnings cover federally aided (Title IV) students only. Suppressed values are null, never imputed.
  • Annual Scorecard files 1996-2026. A null in early years usually means the measure was not yet collected, not zero.
  • Coordinates and locale describe the campus address, not where students live.
  • Wikidata is not an alumni census: a person appears only when volunteer editors record them. Counts measure the archive's memory - access x achievement x documentation - never placement rates or institutional quality.
  • Images are from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses. Render the credit line (artist + license) with every image.

Lead text from Wikipedia (revision 1363569570), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.