Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF

Community College of Denver

Denver, CO · 15 field-and-degree records

Earnings reported for 14 · Federal debt reported for 9

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$196,740 over 10 years

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

103.4 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−90%Estimated return after 10 years
$47,106Observed 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.

10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$196,740at year 10
Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
−$217,8000
2
4
6
8
−$196,74010
Years after graduationBreak-even: 103.4 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$4,902
Sticker price
Published out-of-state tuition$17,136
Sticker price
Average net price$9,450
Title IV student average
Cost of attendance$19,550
Tuition + living budget
PRICE SOURCECollege reported · annual amount · federal dataset
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25

What makes up the annual price?

Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.

Tuition and required fees$4,902$17,136 for out-of-state students
Books and supplies$1,460Estimated academic-year allowance
On-campus housing and foodNot availableOther expenses not reported
Estimated on-campus total$6,362Sum of available published components, before aid

Living off campus: $14,679 housing and food allowance plus $6,462 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.

What stays fixed$47,106 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is this college’s institution-wide average net price, not your personal aid offer. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
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.

Fully online11%
1,263 students
Some online courses31%
3,553 students
No online courses57%
6,501 students
Undergraduates age 25+31%
Share of undergraduate enrollment

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
Associate degrees
Campus setting
City
Admissions
Open admission
Delivery
Campus or mixed delivery
Federal designation
No special designation reported
Sources: College Scorecard June 2026 release and IPEDS 2024 institutional characteristics.
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024

3,388 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.

Overall3% above U.S.
Goods1% below U.S.
Housing27% above U.S.
Utilities15% below U.S.
Other services0% below U.S.

Use this as geographic context, not a personal budget. It describes the state, not the campus neighborhood, and does not measure tuition or student-specific housing.

DegreeVerdict does not adjust reported earnings, college prices or ROI using this index.

Download the official BEA source →
THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE VERDICT

What it costs and what graduates earn

$9,450Average net price / year
$19,550Cost of attendance
$12,495Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$132/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$47,106Median earnings · year 5 after completion
20.0%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
5,096Student 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.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What the numbers say about Community College of Denver

What does Community College of Denver cost?

Community College of Denver reports an average annual net price of $9,450 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.

What do Community College of Denver graduates earn?

The observed median earnings figure is $47,106 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.

How much federal debt do Community College of Denver graduates have?

Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $12,495. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.

Is every degree at Community College of Denver worth the same?

No. The current release contains 15 field-and-degree records for Community College of Denver; 14 report year-4 earnings and 9 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.

1 year20%Paid down at least $1 of principal
3 years26%Paid down at least $1 of principal
5 years31%Paid down at least $1 of principal
7 years47%Paid down at least $1 of principal
Students who completed$12,495Median federal debt · 498 borrowers
Students who withdrew$5,250Median federal debt · 2,741 borrowers
Three-year cohort default rate0%Federal cohort measure, not the share currently behind on payments

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.

2024–25 ENROLLMENT

Who studied here during the year

12,007Students enrolled at any point
12,007Undergraduate students
Not availableGraduate 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
PRICE BY FAMILY INCOME

Average net price is not one price

Federal averages for aided students in each family-income band. Your aid offer can differ.

$0–30k$8,356
$30–48k$9,533
$48–75k$10,662
$75–110k$13,041
$110k+$16,275
LONGER-TERM CONTEXT

What happens beyond the first earnings measure

Year 5$47,106
Year 6$36,412
Year 10$39,095
Full-time retention
Not available
Part-time retention
Not available
Completion within 200% of normal time
Not available

Earnings timepoints may use different historical cohorts and should not be read as one group’s guaranteed salary growth.

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.

Pell Grant students19%

Complete within 150% of the expected time

14% received a Pell Grant within eight years
Parent borrowing$7,500

Median Parent PLUS debt

29 parent borrowers in the reported cohort
First-generation students$5,500

Median federal student debt

24% making progress in repayment after three years
Student family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$34,640Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$49,145Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$48,715Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income21%
Middle income38%
Higher income45%
Undergraduate student composition
White31%
Black12%
Hispanic39%
Asian7%

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
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Associate degree · Broad federal field 51
$56,354Year 1
$68,987Year 5
$83,610Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 51
$43,820Year 1
$64,608Year 5
$75,723Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Certificate, less than 1 year · Broad federal field 51
$33,515Year 1
$52,793Year 5
$66,153Year 10
Law.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 22
$47,492Year 1
$55,464Year 5
$63,874Year 10
Computer Programming.Associate degree · Broad federal field 11
$54,757Year 1
$54,757Year 5
$59,353Year 10
Computer Programming.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 11
$38,692Year 1
$54,051Year 5
$58,858Year 10
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.Associate degree · Broad federal field 24
$33,598Year 1
$47,771Year 5
$57,633Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Certificate, less than 1 year · Broad federal field 52
$37,753Year 1
$48,487Year 5
$47,802Year 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.

54thEarnings percentile
4thCompletion percentile
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.

$54,479Median year-4 earnings across reportable program categories
$14,445Median federal debt across categories that report debt
86%Of comparable categories above their same-field national benchmark
EARNINGS OVER TIME

What graduates earned in later years

$41,648Year 1
$53,984Year 4
$47,106Year 5

Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.

DEGREES AT THIS COLLEGE

Your choice of degree can change the payoff.

Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.

1Dental Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate's Degree$90,1932Dental Support Services and Allied Professions · Bachelor's Degree$81,8963Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$78,9274Management Information Systems and Services · Associate's Degree$65,9915Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$63,4866Precision Metal Working · Associate's Degree$59,3647Management Information Systems and Services · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$56,7488Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$52,209

Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges

Strongest relative outcomes

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.

1Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's Degree · $90,193 reported+46%vs same-degree national median$29,472federal debt2Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's Degree · $51,845 reported+27%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · $52,209 reported+26%vs same-degree national median$17,750federal debt4Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's Degree · $78,927 reported+21%vs same-degree national median$24,375federal debt5Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsBachelor's Degree · $81,896 reported+20%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Management Information Systems and ServicesAssociate's Degree · $65,991 reported+17%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
BUILD A REAL SHORTLIST

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.

Greeley, CO

Aims Community College

Annual net price
$11,463
Observed earnings · year 5
$47,038
Modeled 10-year ROI
-91%
Open college profile →
Glenwood Springs, CO

Colorado Mountain College

Annual net price
$7,813
Observed earnings · year 5
$45,575
Modeled 10-year ROI
-97%
Open college profile →
Aurora, CO

Community College of Aurora

Annual net price
$8,656
Observed earnings · year 5
$50,085
Modeled 10-year ROI
-76%
Open college profile →
Westminster, CO

Front Range Community College

Annual net price
$13,031
Observed earnings · year 5
$46,622
Modeled 10-year ROI
-93%
Open college profile →
DEGREE OUTCOMES

Compare fields and degree levels

Showing all 15 field-and-degree records in the current release.

Major or fieldDegree levelEarnings, year 4Federal debt2024–25 graduates
Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's Degree$90,193$29,472Not reported
Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsBachelor's Degree$81,896Not availableNot reported
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's Degree$78,927$24,375Not reported
Management Information Systems and ServicesAssociate's Degree$65,991Not availableNot reported
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$63,486$12,00017
Precision Metal WorkingAssociate's Degree$59,364Not availableNot reported
Management Information Systems and ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$56,748Not available0
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree$52,209$17,750Not reported
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's Degree$51,845Not availableNot reported
Precision Metal WorkingUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$50,744$11,00041
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree$50,401$14,445Not reported
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$47,234$13,54115
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/TechniciansUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$38,701Not available18
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$29,581$14,37556
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsUndergraduate Certificate or DiplomaNot available$32,51054

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.