Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF

Colorado College

Colorado Springs, CO · 4 reportable field-and-credential outcomes

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$212,790 over 10 years

Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

31.1 yrsModeled economic break-even
−68%Modeled 10-year ROI
$55,071Observed earnings · year 5
Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK

Estimated payoff over ten years.

The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.

10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$212,790at year 10
Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
−$313,5000
2
4
6
8
−$212,79010
Years after graduationBreak-even: 31.1 years
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 in-state tuition$70,734
Sticker price
Published out-of-state tuition$70,734
Sticker price
Average net price$33,375
Title IV student average
Cost of attendance$86,921
Tuition + living budget
PRICE SOURCECollege reported · annual amount · federal dataset
OBSERVED FEDERAL MEASURES

Cost, completion and earnings context

$33,375Average net price / year
$86,921Cost of attendance
$55,071Median earnings · year 5 after completion
87.7%Completion rate
18.5%Admission rate
2,014Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT

How this college compares

Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.

73thEarnings percentile
90thCompletion percentile
EARNINGS PATH

Reported earnings over time

$33,261Year 1
$56,959Year 4
$55,071Year 5

Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.

PROGRAM PAYOFF SPREAD

The college average is not the whole story.

Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.

1Economics · Bachelor's Degree$122,9982Biology, General · Bachelor's Degree$62,9703Sociology · Bachelor's Degree$56,6494Natural Resources Conservation and Research · Bachelor's Degree$37,393

Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding

BUILD A REAL SHORTLIST

Comparable colleges in CO

Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.

Lakewood, CO

Colorado Christian University

Annual net price
$29,500
Observed earnings · year 5
$56,660
Modeled 10-year ROI
-61%
Open college profile →
Denver, CO

University of Denver

Annual net price
$36,131
Observed earnings · year 5
$74,242
Modeled 10-year ROI
-10%
Open college profile →
Denver, CO

Montessori Education Center of the Rockies

Annual net price
$19,557
Observed earnings · year 5
$39,296
Modeled 10-year ROI
-122%
Open college profile →
Boulder, CO

Naropa University

Annual net price
$29,179
Observed earnings · year 5
$27,062
Modeled 10-year ROI
-160%
Open college profile →
ALL REPORTABLE PROGRAM CATEGORIES

Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes

Federal fieldCredentialEarnings, year 4Federal debt
EconomicsBachelor's Degree$122,998$18,250
Biology, GeneralBachelor's Degree$62,970$20,513
SociologyBachelor's Degree$56,649Not available
Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's Degree$37,393$15,000

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.