BaccalaureatePublic

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, Colorado·Public, 4-year or above·Rocky Mountains·coloradomesa.edu
6-yr Graduation
41%
+2.5pp vs Baccalaureate
Total enrollment
9,785
peer median 3,958
Avg net price
$15,331
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
12,465
12,465 candidates competed
Admitted
10,225
82.0% acceptance rate
Enrolled
2,359
23.1% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
41%+2.5pp vs Baccalaureate
4-year graduation
28%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
47%
Full-time retention
79%

Pell equity

5.0pp gap
Pell recipients
32%
Non-Pell
37%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 5.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 124 Title IV programs, 24 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 99 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
124
Passing
24
19.4% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
0.8% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.8%
+0.2pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

124programs
  • Passing24 · 19.4%
  • No Data99 · 79.8%
  • Failing1 · 0.8%

Severity spectrum

Critical
1
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
2
Watch
6
Safe
16
No data
99

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

25
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-17.9%
$32,144 vs $39,174
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+9.0%
$42,701 vs $39,174
Culinary Arts and Related Services
Associate Degree · Personal And Culinary Services
+9.3%
$42,801 vs $39,174
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+10.0%
$43,078 vs $39,174
Education General
Graduate Certificate · Education
+11.4%
$49,139 vs $44,091
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+11.6%
$43,733 vs $39,174
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+11.7%
$43,775 vs $39,174
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+14.0%
$44,651 vs $39,174

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

25
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
88%
$28,202 debt · $32,144 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
57%
$25,610 debt · $44,651 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
54%
$24,500 debt · $45,737 earn
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
53%
$26,500 debt · $50,441 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
52%
$22,532 debt · $43,733 earn
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Bachelor Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
51%
$25,792 debt · $50,384 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
48%
$23,870 debt · $49,348 earn
Education General
Graduate Certificate · Education
48%
$23,650 debt · $49,139 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1957Next review Aug 2034

Programmatic accreditations · 11

Action history · 16

  1. Dec 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTM) - Programs leading to a Master's Degree
  2. Aug 2024Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Probation
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTM) - Programs leading to a Master's Degree
  3. Jan 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
  4. Jan 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  5. Aug 2023Initial Accreditation
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTM) - Programs leading to a Master's Degree

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$11,547
$30–48k$11,755
$48–75k$15,061
$75–110k$18,182
$110k+$20,288

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$15,331
vs Baccalaureate median $15,331
Federal loans
33.2%
In-state tuition
$9,712
Out-of-state
$24,312

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 3,399 students received $18.1M in Pell grants, alongside $32.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
3,399
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$18.1M
$18,099,566 total
Direct Loans
$32.6M
5,332 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

3k
20
3k
21
3k
22
3k
23
3k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$7.0M
1,961 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$9.9M
2,322 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$3.1M
183 loan awards
Parent PLUS$10.3M
759 loan awards
Grad PLUS$2.4M
107 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 2,346 borrowers who entered repayment, 80 (3.4%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
3.4%
+1.1pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
2,346
Defaulted
80
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
10.3%
2017
10.9%
2018
8.1%
2019
3.4%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Colorado Mesa

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs97
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,232 total completions
01Business
30724.9%
02Health Professions
26521.5%
03Parks/Recreation
14611.9%
04Liberal Arts
13811.2%
05Security/Protective
867.0%
06Psychology
836.7%
07Biological Sciences
715.8%
08Engineering Tech
494.0%
09Visual/Performing Arts
463.7%
10Computer Sciences
413.3%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
9,785
12-mo unduplicated
10,157
Undergraduate
9,785
Graduate
372

Gender split

Men
46%4,633
Women
54%5,524

Race / ethnicity composition

White
64.9%
Hispanic
21.0%
Unknown
4.4%
Two or more
4.3%
Black
1.6%
Asian
1.4%
Non-resident
1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.4%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
802
496 M · 306 W
Women athletes
38.2%
Athletic aid
$3.7M
Total student aid
Budget
$14.3M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$2.1M
$1.6M
Recruiting expense
$119K
$76K
Head-coach salaries
$72K
$63K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 14

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
171 M · 148 W
$904K
Football
146 M ·
$1.8M
Lacrosse
63 M · 33 W
$857K
Swimming and Diving (combined)
38 M · 38 W
$760K
Wrestling
39 M · 35 W
$935K
Soccer
37 M · 33 W
$853K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.46
13 offenses · 8,905 students

3-year trend

1.322 yrs ago1.801 yr ago1.46Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
41
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
20
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
2
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
2

Criminal offenses by type

Fondling
6
Burglary
3
Motor vehicle theft
2
Rape
1
Aggravated assault
1

By location

13total
  • On campus12
  • Public property1

Includes 8 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

2
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
7
Stalking
9 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons10
Drugs1325
Liquor6171

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
18.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
371

Colorado Mesa vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Colorado Mesa selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectColorado Mesa University
41%9,785$15,331Baccalaureate
88%14.1%4,114Baccalaureate
36%77.3%3,544$17,339Baccalaureate
28%13,167$15,265Baccalaureate
32%87.7%3,801$12,832Baccalaureate
54%99.8%1,358$16,669Baccalaureate
Peer group median39%82.5%3,958$15,331

Institutions like Colorado Mesa

Explore the federal data for institutions in Colorado Mesa's comparison group.

Colorado Mesa Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Institutional Research, Planning and Decision Support
Phone
970-248-1020
Address
1100 North Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81501-3122

The Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Decision Support provides data and responds to frequently asked questions about Colorado Mesa University's students, faculty, staff and academic programs.

Visit IR office page
Team
1 member
  • Holly Teal
    Director of Institutional Research and Decision Support

Common Data Set

Colorado Mesa's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Total enrollment
9,785
9,473 UG · 312 grad
6-yr graduation rate
47%
First-year retention
79%
Student–faculty ratio
18 to 1
Est. net price (aided)
$17,391
after avg need-based grant
01

Affordability & Value

Cost of attendance

G
Total$28,608
Tuition
$9,63034%
Fees
$9843%
Room & board
$13,86648%
Books
$2,4008%
Other
$1,7286%

Total sticker cost of attendance is $28,608 (2023-2024).

Sticker vs. net price

G+H
Sticker COA
$28,608
Net (aided)
$17,391
Avg need grant
$11,217

Sticker $28,608 → about $17,391 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($11,217); 69% of demonstrated need is met.

Where grant aid comes from

H1
Federal38.8%
State all states29.2%
Institutional scholarships, annual gifts25.3%
External scholarships, not awarded by the college6.6%

0% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
52%
Avg debt
$23,189

52% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $23,189 on average.

02

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
47%
Retention
79%

6-year graduation rate 47%; first-year retention 79%.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students47%
Pell recipients37%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 10 pts below the overall rate (37% vs 47%).

03

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students244
10-19 students452
20-29 students401
30-39 students126
40-49 students50
50-99 students94
100+ students2

51% of classes have under 20 students; 7% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
18 to 1
Women faculty
52%

Key faculty indicators.

04

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
White, non-Hispanic63.0%
Hispanic/Latino20.9%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown6.8%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic3.9%
Nonresident Alien1.5%
Asian, non-Hispanic1.5%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic1.5%
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic0.6%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.4%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
122
Share
1%

1% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
9,47397%
Graduate
3123%

9,473 undergraduates and 312 graduate students.

05

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
930
Admitted
923
Enrolled
445

930 transfer applicants → 923 admitted (99.2%) → 445 enrolled

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Colorado Mesa University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Colorado Mesa.

What is the graduation rate at Colorado Mesa University?

Colorado Mesa University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 41% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Colorado Mesa University?

Colorado Mesa University reports a total enrollment of 9,785 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Colorado Mesa University?

The average net price at Colorado Mesa University is $15,331 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Colorado Mesa University?

Colorado Mesa University's yield rate is 23.1%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Colorado Mesa University located?

Colorado Mesa University is located in Grand Junction, Colorado 81501-3122.

Who runs Institutional Research at Colorado Mesa University?

Colorado Mesa University's IR work is done by the Institutional Research, Planning and Decision Support.

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