Best Computer Programmer programs in Colorado, ranked by enrollment
Create, modify, and test the code and scripts that allow computer applications to run. Work from specifications drawn up by software and web developers or other individuals.
23 schools in Colorado run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,991 people a year. The job pays a median of $104,610 in Colorado across about 930 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Colorado that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
10 programs in Colorado that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Colorado (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Colorado page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 11.0701In Colorado → | 2,180 | 72.9% | 17 | $70,374 | $23,250 |
| 2 | CIP 30.3001In Colorado → | 392 | 13.1% | 1 | $50,745 | $27,000 |
| 3 | Computer Programming/Programmer, Generalmain feeder CIP 11.0201In Colorado → | 164 | 5.5% | 6 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 4 | CIP 52.1201In Colorado → | 113 | 3.8% | 5 | $59,352 | $24,618 |
| 5 | CIP 11.0203In Colorado → | 46 | 1.5% | 1 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 6 | CIP 11.0803In Colorado → | 29 | 1.0% | 1 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 7 | CIP 30.7101In Colorado → | 27 | 0.9% | 1 | — | — |
| 8 | Computer Programming, Specific Applicationsmain feeder CIP 11.0202In Colorado → | 17 | 0.6% | 1 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 9 | CIP 11.0804In Colorado → | 15 | 0.5% | 1 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 10 | Computer Game Programmingmain feeder CIP 11.0204In Colorado → | 8 | 0.3% | 2 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
Top 23 schools in Colorado
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 9 of the 23 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 1,091 | Computer Science | $77,385 | 74% | — | 78% |
| 2 | Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 700 | Computer Science | $67,531 | 19% | $16,966 | — |
| 3 | Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 373 | Computer Science | $86,268 | 82% | — | 61% |
| 4 | University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 156 | Computer Science | $77,761 | 47% | — | 97% |
| 5 | Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 131 | Computer Science | $73,874 | 32% | — | 99% |
| 6 | Front Range Community College Westminster, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 88 | Computer Science | — | 35% | — | — |
| 7 | University of Denver Denver, CO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 81 | Computer Science | $72,250 | 76% | $29,726 | 78% |
| 8 | Colorado State University Global Denver, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 58 | Management Information Systems, General | $74,960 | — | — | 98% |
| 9 | Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO Public · 3 feeder programs | 58 | Data Analytics, General | — | 67% | — | 89% |
| 10 | Pueblo Community College Pueblo, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 52 | Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification | — | 31% | — | — |
| 11 | United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 39 | Computer Science | — | 88% | — | 14% |
| 12 | Community College of Aurora Aurora, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 36 | Computer Science | — | 33% | — | — |
| 13 | Regis University Denver, CO Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 32 | Computer Science | $75,501 | 61% | $22,407 | 86% |
| 14 | Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design Lakewood, CO Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 29 | Computer Graphics | $37,268 | 32% | $28,500 | — |
| 15 | Pikes Peak State College Colorado Springs, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 18 | Computer Science | — | 21% | — | — |
| 16 | Arapahoe Community College Littleton, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 15 | Computer Science | — | 29% | — | — |
| 17 | Community College of Denver Denver, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Computer Science | — | 20% | — | — |
| 18 | Western Colorado University Gunnison, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 50% | — | 100% |
| 19 | Red Rocks Community College Lakewood, CO Public · 3 feeder programs | 6 | Computer Science | — | 32% | — | — |
| 20 | Aims Community College Greeley, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Computer Science | — | 40% | — | — |
| 21 | Adams State University Alamosa, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Computer Science | — | 39% | — | — |
| 22 | Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Management Information Systems, General | — | 41% | — | 82% |
| 23 | University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Computer Science | — | 51% | — | 86% |
All 23 schools in Colorado
Every school in Colorado with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder | Public | 1,091 | 2 |
| Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs | Private for-profit | 700 | 2 |
| Colorado School of Mines | Golden | Public | 373 | 1 |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs | Public | 156 | 2 |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver | Denver | Public | 131 | 2 |
| Front Range Community College | Westminster | Public | 88 | 2 |
| University of Denver | Denver | Private not-for-profit | 81 | 1 |
| Colorado State University Global | Denver | Public | 58 | 1 |
| Colorado State University - Fort Collins | Fort Collins | Public | 58 | 3 |
| Pueblo Community College | Pueblo | Public | 52 | 2 |
| United States Air Force Academy | USAF Academy | Public | 39 | 1 |
| Community College of Aurora | Aurora | Public | 36 | 1 |
| Regis University | Denver | Private not-for-profit | 32 | 2 |
| Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design | Lakewood | Private for-profit | 29 | 1 |
| Pikes Peak State College | Colorado Springs | Public | 18 | 2 |
What computer programmers earn in Colorado
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $100,390. Colorado pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Colorado
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Computer Programmers page.
How to become a Computer Programmer
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Colorado
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 17 majors mapped to Computer Programmers17 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 11.0201Computer Programming/Programmer, General
- 11.0202Computer Programming, Specific Applications
- 11.0203Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification
- 11.0204Computer Game Programming
- 11.0205Computer Programming, Specific Platforms
- 11.0299Computer Programming, Other
- 11.0701Computer Science
- 11.0803Computer Graphics
- 11.0804Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation
- 11.0902Cloud Computing
- 15.1204Computer Software Technology/Technician
- 30.3001Computational Science
- 30.7101Data Analytics, General
- 30.7103Data Visualization
- 30.7199Data Analytics, Other
- 51.0709Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant
- 52.1201Management Information Systems, General
Common questions
Answers for people weighing computer programmers programs in Colorado.
What degree do you need to become a Computer Programmer?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Computer Science, which awarded 2,180 degrees in Colorado in 2024-25, 72.9% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Computer Programmer?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 10 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer Science, Computational Science, Computer Programming, Management Information Systems and Services, plus 2 more. Together they graduate about 2,991 people a year in Colorado.
How much do computer programmers earn in Colorado?+
The median is $104,610 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 4.2% above the U.S. median of $100,390. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for computer programmers growing?+
BLS projects a -6.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 5,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Colorado?+
23 institutions in Colorado reported graduates from at least one of the 10 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do computer programmers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Programmer, Analyst Programmer, Programmer Analyst, Computer Programmer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-1251.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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