Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsPublic

Western Colorado University

Gunnison, Colorado·Public, 4-year or above·Rocky Mountains·western.edu
6-yr Graduation
50%
+10.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Total enrollment
3,568
peer median 4,419
Avg net price
$16,773
+$3.0k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
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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
3,119
3,119 candidates competed
Admitted
3,110
99.7% acceptance rate
Enrolled
357
11.5% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

Overall completion
50%+10.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
4-year graduation
35%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
50%
Full-time retention
72%

Pell equity

6.0pp gap
Pell recipients
44%
Non-Pell
50%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 6.0-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 48 Title IV programs, 13 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 35 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
48
Passing
13
27.1% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

48programs
  • Passing13 · 27.1%
  • No Data35 · 72.9%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
3
Watch
3
Safe
7
No data
35

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.

13
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+0.6%
$39,414 vs $39,174
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+1.8%
$39,865 vs $39,174
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+3.7%
$40,636 vs $39,174
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+21.0%
$47,401 vs $39,174
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+21.1%
$47,426 vs $39,174
Parks Recreation and Leisure Studies
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+22.8%
$48,109 vs $39,174
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Bachelor Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
+25.5%
$49,170 vs $39,174
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+30.1%
$50,954 vs $39,174

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

3
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+0.6%
+$240
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+1.8%
+$691
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+3.7%
+$1,462

Debt vs earnings

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

11
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
64%
$25,234 debt · $39,414 earn
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Master's Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
61%
$41,000 debt · $67,308 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
60%
$24,500 debt · $40,636 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
53%
$25,000 debt · $47,401 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
53%
$24,881 debt · $47,426 earn
Education General
Master's Degree · Education
48%
$27,500 debt · $57,638 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
45%
$25,770 debt · $57,359 earn
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Bachelor Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
40%
$19,573 debt · $49,170 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1915Next review Aug 2033

Programmatic accreditations · 1

Action history · 2

  1. Jul 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  2. Aug 2014Change in Agency recognition
    National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation · Music (MUS) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs

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$10,573
$30–48k$9,926
$48–75k$15,090
$75–110k$18,658
$110k+$21,621

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

Avg net price
$16,773
+$3,023vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs median $13,751
Federal loans
22.6%
In-state tuition
$11,083
Out-of-state
$23,683

Federal aid volume & trends

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

In AY 2024–25, 503 students received $2.7M in Pell grants, alongside $8.4M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
503
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$2.7M
$2,731,920 total
Direct Loans
$8.4M
1,119 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
20
0k
21
0k
22
0k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$1.3M
338 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$2.1M
438 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$2.6M
168 loan awards
Parent PLUS$2.0M
147 loan awards
Grad PLUS$330K
28 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 606 borrowers who entered repayment, 9 (1.4%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.4%
-0.9pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
606
Defaulted
9
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
7.8%
2017
8.8%
2018
5.8%
2019
1.4%
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 Western Colorado

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs36
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

440 total completions
01Business
7517.0%
02Biological Sciences
7316.6%
03Education
5713.0%
04Parks/Recreation
5412.3%
05Natural Resources
4610.5%
06English Language
398.9%
07Psychology
317.0%
08Social Sciences
286.4%
09Computer Sciences
204.5%
10Visual/Performing Arts
173.9%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
3,568
12-mo unduplicated
5,959
Undergraduate
5,303
Graduate
656

Gender split

Men
48%2,862
Women
52%3,097

Race / ethnicity composition

White
72.5%
Hispanic
12.9%
Unknown
4.4%
Two or more
3.8%
Black
3.1%
Asian
1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
1.1%
Non-resident
0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.2%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

Athletes
420
264 M · 156 W
Women athletes
37.1%
Athletic aid
$2.0M
Total student aid
Budget
$7.9M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$1.2M
$786K
Recruiting expense
$70K
$42K
Head-coach salaries
$64K
$53K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 7

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
213 M · 152 W
$847K
Football
127 M ·
$2.0M
Wrestling
41 M ·
$971K
Soccer
· 35 W
$320K
Basketball
17 M · 14 W
$1.1M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
· 27 W
$318K

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
2.25
8 offenses · 3,548 students

3-year trend

2.502 yrs ago1.901 yr ago2.25Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
23
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
14
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
5
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
1

Criminal offenses by type

Fondling
4
Rape
3
Burglary
1

By location

8total
  • On campus8

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

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
4
Dating violence
2
Stalking
6 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Gender3

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons14
Drugs017
Liquor189

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
17.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
127

Western Colorado vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Western Colorado 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
SubjectWestern Colorado University
50%3,568$16,773Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Colorado State University Pueblo
40%94.9%6,851$12,948Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Montana State University Billings
34%4,129$15,044Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
SUNY Old Westbury
45%83.6%4,709$9,900Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Indiana University-Southeast
39%84.5%3,736$8,257Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Virginia State University
39%88.6%5,605$14,553Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Peer group median40%86.5%4,419$13,751

Frequently asked questions about Western Colorado University

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

What is the graduation rate at Western Colorado University?

Western Colorado University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 50% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Western Colorado University?

Western Colorado University reports a total enrollment of 3,568 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Western Colorado University?

The average net price at Western Colorado University is $16,773 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Western Colorado University?

Western Colorado University's yield rate is 11.5%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Western Colorado University located?

Western Colorado University is located in Gunnison, Colorado 81231.

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