Colorado College

Colorado Springs, CO · Private

Official website

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Admission rate

Colorado College admitted 18.5% of applicants university-wide (1,572 of 8,511).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide18.5%1,5728,511
In-state17.5%2571,468
Out-of-state24.2%1,1554,763
International applicants7.0%1602,280
Early Decision (binding)31.8%292918
Men17.6%6513,689
Women18.9%8554,531

Early Decision applicants were admitted at 31.8%, vs 18.5% overall — ED is a binding commitment.

Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.

Of 1,572 admitted students, 476 enrolled (30.3% yield).

Colorado College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1240–1440
ACT (mid-50%)
29–33
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.50–4.00

Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)

Colorado College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $91,494/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$70,734
Fees, housing, food, books & other$20,760
Sticker cost of attendance$91,494/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$9,217
$30k–48k$15,477
$48k–75k$12,568
$75k–110k$24,129
Over $110k$44,141

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Presidential Scholarship — $30,000 per year (Presidential)
  • Colorado College Merit Scholarship — Up to $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Dean's Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Faculty Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Merit)
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) Scholarship — $10,000 per year (International Aid)
  • Colorado College Grant — Varies (meets 100% of demonstrated need) (Need Based)
  • Colorado College Music Scholarship — Varies (Departmental)
  • Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Scholarship — Varies (Merit)
  • Trustee Scholarship — Full tuition per year (Full Tuition)

International applicants

Meets full demonstrated need for internationals.

  • International Student Scholarship — Up to $30,000 per year (International Aid)
  • Presidential Scholarship — $30,000 per year (Presidential)
  • Colorado College Merit Scholarship — Up to $25,000 per year (Merit)
  • Dean's Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Faculty Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Merit)
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) Scholarship — $10,000 per year (International Aid)
  • Colorado College Grant — Varies (meets 100% of demonstrated need) (Need Based)
  • Colorado College Music Scholarship — Varies (Departmental)
  • Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Scholarship — Varies (Merit)
  • Trustee Scholarship — Full tuition per year (Full Tuition)

Colorado College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Application (Common App, Coalition, or QuestBridge)
  • Official transcript(s) through end of junior year
  • Two teacher evaluations (preferably from junior year core subjects)
  • Counselor letter of recommendation (recommended)
  • Early Decision Agreement
  • Art supplement (visual art, music, dance, theater, creative writing, film) (optional)
  • Financial aid documents (FAFSA, CSS Profile, etc.)

International applicants

  • Application (Common App, Coalition, or QuestBridge)
  • Official transcript(s) through end of junior year
  • Two teacher evaluations (preferably from junior year core subjects)
  • Counselor letter of recommendation (recommended)
  • Early Decision Agreement
  • Art supplement (visual art, music, dance, theater, creative writing, film) (optional)
  • Financial aid documents (FAFSA, CSS Profile, etc.)
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

Colorado College · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts), plus 1 college-specific supplement:

  1. Please tell us what brings you to Colorado College. How might the Block Plan, our distinctive academic calendar, and our mission to provide a ‘distinctive and vital liberal arts education’ help you achieve your goals?250 words · Required

Draft these in the free Essay Coach

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$65,222
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
87.7%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
93.6%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$18,257
At graduation

Colorado College · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • U.S. News Liberal Arts: #30
  • WSJ: #370
  • Forbes: #138
  • Niche: #174

Deadlines

  • 2026-11-01Early Action — Non-binding early round
  • 2026-11-01Early Decision — Binding early round
  • 2027-01-15Regular Decision — Standard deadline

Colorado College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Social sciences (19%), Biological & life sciences (17%), Visual & performing arts (9%).

Student–faculty ratio: 9:1 · 72% of class sections have under 20 students.

Colorado College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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