10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$190,570at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Adams State University
Alamosa, CO · 11 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 9 · Federal debt reported for 6
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$190,570 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
56.1 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−82%Estimated return after 10 years
$49,135Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $16,785 housing and food allowance plus $3,294 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$138,650
$8,000Annual price−$170,650
$13,000Current college-wide context−$190,650
$16,000Annual price−$202,650
$24,000Annual price−$234,650
$32,000Annual price−$266,650
$40,000Annual price−$298,650
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- Town
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
475 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Colorado run 3% above the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$12,980Average net price / year
$24,352Cost of attendance
$19,500Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$207/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$49,135Median earnings · year 5 after completion
39.4%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
21ACT midpoint
1,250Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Adams State University
What does Adams State University cost?
Adams State University reports an average annual net price of $12,980 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Adams State University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $49,135 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Adams State University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $19,500. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Adams State University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 11 field-and-degree records for Adams State University; 9 report year-4 earnings and 6 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
3,853Students enrolled at any point
2,185Undergraduate students
1,668Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
42% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
233 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
46% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$39,144Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$46,490Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$52,898Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income38%
Middle income50%
Higher income59%
Undergraduate student composition
White41%
Black9%
Hispanic33%
Asian1%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$43,858Year 1
$60,657Year 5
$74,729Year 10
Outdoor Education.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 31
$31,171Year 1
$51,223Year 5
$71,441Year 10
Clinical Psychology.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 42
$53,391Year 1
$63,315Year 5
$68,521Year 10
Astronomy and Astrophysics.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 40
Not availableYear 1
$49,582Year 5
$68,098Year 10
Anthropology.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 45
$40,680Year 1
$50,919Year 5
$68,098Year 10
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 13
$57,855Year 1
$64,930Year 5
$67,409Year 10
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.Associate degree · Broad federal field 24
$26,799Year 1
$45,846Year 5
$61,827Year 10
Clinical Psychology.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 42
$34,840Year 1
$51,223Year 5
$60,590Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$40,358Year 1
$52,621Year 4
$49,135Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$78,4022Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Master's Degree$74,8313Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$74,5604Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · Master's Degree$59,1365Biology, General · Bachelor's Degree$56,4676Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology · Master's Degree$56,2077Business/Commerce, General · Bachelor's Degree$51,1118Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · Bachelor's Degree$44,701Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesMaster's Degree · $74,831 reported+14%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's Degree · $59,136 reported-1%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Biology, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $56,467 reported-1%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's Degree · $78,402 reported-12%vs same-degree national median$31,000federal debt5Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyMaster's Degree · $56,207 reported-14%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's Degree · $44,701 reported-18%vs same-degree national median$21,451federal debt
Comparable colleges in CO
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Rangely, CO
Colorado Northwestern Community College
- Annual net price
- $12,131
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $49,730
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -79%
Front Range Community College
- Annual net price
- $13,031
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $46,622
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -93%
Aims Community College
- Annual net price
- $11,463
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,038
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -91%
Western Colorado University
- Annual net price
- $16,425
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,723
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -85%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 11 field-and-degree records in the current release.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $78,402 | $31,000 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Master's Degree | $74,831 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $74,560 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $59,136 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $56,467 | Not available | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Master's Degree | $56,207 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Bachelor's Degree | $51,111 | $23,624 | 0 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | $44,701 | $21,451 | 0 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $41,809 | $24,879 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $22,745 | Not reported |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $29,441 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.