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
United States Air Force Academy
88%14.1%4,114Baccalaureate
Fort Lewis College
36%77.3%3,544$17,339Baccalaureate
Utah Tech University
28%13,167$15,265Baccalaureate
Lewis-Clark State College
32%87.7%3,801$12,832Baccalaureate
The University of Montana-Western
54%99.8%1,358$16,669Baccalaureate
Peer group median39%82.5%3,958$15,331

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.

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