10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$32,104at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF
University of Denver
Denver, CO · 57 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 56 · Federal debt reported for 21
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$32,104 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
11.1 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−10%Estimated return after 10 years
$74,242Observed earnings · year 5
$28,105Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark would need to fall by $8,026 per year to reach it.
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: $16,967 housing and food allowance plus $3,201 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+$112,420
$10,000Annual price+$72,420
$20,000Annual price+$32,420
$30,000Annual price−$7,580
$36,000Current college-wide context−$31,580
$40,000Annual price−$47,580
$50,000Annual price−$87,580
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
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
4 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
$36,131Average net price / year
$78,476Cost of attendance
$21,844Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$232/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$74,242Median earnings · year 5 after completion
75.6%Completion rate
77.8%Admission rate
1,355Average SAT score
29ACT midpoint
6,025Student 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 University of Denver
What does University of Denver cost?
University of Denver reports an average annual net price of $36,131 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do University of Denver graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $74,242 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do University of Denver graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $21,844. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at University of Denver worth the same?
No. The current release contains 57 field-and-degree records for University of Denver; 56 report year-4 earnings and 21 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
15,512Students enrolled at any point
7,522Undergraduate students
7,990Graduate 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
72% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
442 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
59% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$68,391Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$69,577Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$73,853Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income60%
Middle income72%
Higher income82%
Undergraduate student composition
White67%
Black3%
Hispanic14%
Asian4%
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.
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
$49,181Year 1
$78,504Year 4
$74,242Year 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.
1Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods · Master's Degree$141,1322Business/Commerce, General · Master's Degree$133,9933Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$121,9934Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$120,9345Taxation · Master's Degree$114,5446Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies · Master's Degree$107,5407Computer and Information Sciences, General · Master's Degree$105,7018Accounting and Related Services · Master's Degree$105,291Observed 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.
1Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's Degree · $69,251 reported+34%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Hospitality Administration/ManagementBachelor's Degree · $75,118 reported+32%vs same-degree national median$21,923federal debt3Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's Degree · $96,903 reported+27%vs same-degree national median$21,288federal debt4Environmental/Natural Resources Management and PolicyMaster's Degree · $88,331 reported+22%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsBachelor's Degree · $104,087 reported+21%vs same-degree national median$21,500federal debt6Communication and Media StudiesMaster's Degree · $86,020 reported+20%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
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.
Denver, CO
Regis University
- Annual net price
- $18,397
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $72,939
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +10%
Colorado College
- Annual net price
- $33,375
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $55,071
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -68%
Colorado Christian University
- Annual net price
- $29,500
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $56,660
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -61%
Montessori Education Center of the Rockies
- Annual net price
- $19,557
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $39,296
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -122%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 57 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Master's Degree | $141,132 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Master's Degree | $133,993 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $121,993 | $22,000 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $120,934 | Not available | Not reported |
| Taxation | Master's Degree | $114,544 | Not available | Not reported |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | Master's Degree | $107,540 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Master's Degree | $105,701 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $105,291 | Not available | Not reported |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $104,087 | $21,500 | 5 |
| Real Estate | Master's Degree | $103,304 | Not available | Not reported |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $103,145 | Not available | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Doctoral Degree | $100,726 | Not available | 17 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $99,135 | $19,650 | 5 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Master's Degree | $98,197 | Not available | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Master's Degree | $97,649 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $96,903 | $21,288 | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Master's Degree | $95,942 | Not available | Not reported |
| Marketing | Master's Degree | $94,307 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $93,919 | Not available | 3 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $93,026 | $26,248 | Not reported |
| Geography and Cartography | Master's Degree | $90,604 | Not available | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Doctoral Degree | $90,551 | Not available | 54 |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | Master's Degree | $88,331 | Not available | Not reported |
| Real Estate | Bachelor's Degree | $87,026 | Not available | 3 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Master's Degree | $86,020 | Not available | Not reported |
| Geography and Cartography | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $85,219 | Not available | Not reported |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $84,328 | Not available | 1 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $83,567 | Not available | Not reported |
| Economics | Master's Degree | $82,777 | Not available | Not reported |
| International Business | Bachelor's Degree | $80,511 | $21,742 | 0 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Bachelor's Degree | $75,118 | $21,923 | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $74,173 | $22,739 | 3 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Master's Degree | $74,159 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Bachelor's Degree | $74,033 | $21,000 | 4 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $69,997 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $69,725 | $26,293 | Not reported |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $69,251 | Not available | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Master's Degree | $68,815 | Not available | 11 |
| International/Globalization Studies | Master's Degree | $66,493 | Not available | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $66,288 | $22,000 | 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.
Search every University of Denver program record →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.