Wyoming Colleges: Tuition, Debt & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Colleges in Wyoming: median public in-state tuition $4,706 (-14.6% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $56,880 (+4.7% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 90.0% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $8,811 (-34.4% vs U.S.) 19,683 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Total college enrollment: 19,683 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $4,706 (-14.6% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $56,880 (+4.7% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 90.0% (+2.1 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $8,404 (-15.7% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $8,811 (-34.4% vs U.S. $13,432); regional median $10,555. Debt rank: #1 nationally of 48 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in Rocky Mountains of 5
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 43.2%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 79.7%
- Earnings rank: #16 nationally (higher median 10-yr earnings = better rank)
- Employment-outcome rank: #20 nationally (higher working share = better rank)
- Tuition rank: #13 of 48 states (lower sticker = better rank)
- Student debt rank: #1 nationally of 48; #1 in Rocky Mountains of 5 (lower debt = better rank)
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Overview
Higher education in Wyoming includes public research universities, private colleges, and community colleges serving transfer students and workforce training. About 19,683 students enrolled statewide in federal data, with median public in-state tuition near $4,706, and community college tuition averaging about $4,599. Major campuses include University of Wyoming. The tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, debt, and employment outcomes for 8 reporting campuses against U.S. and Rocky Mountains medians.
Wyoming vs regional & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming (WY) | $4,706 | $8,404 | $8,811 | 43.2% | 19,683 |
| Rocky Mountains (region median) | $4,912 | $11,571 | $10,555 | 46.2% | 762,883 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Wyoming vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming (WY) | $56,880 | 90.0% | 79.7% | 3.6% | — | 87.0% | 0.32 |
| Rocky Mountains (region median) | $49,960 | 88.1% | 73.3% | 6.2% | — | 71.3% | 0.40 |
| United States | $54,323 | 87.9% | 76.3% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Wyoming vs peer states (Rocky Mountains region)
Peer states are other campuses in the same Scorecard region, chosen by similar total enrollment.
| State | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming (WY) | $4,706 | $8,404 | $8,811 | 43.2% | 19,683 | $56,880 | 90.0% |
| Montana (MT) | $4,897 | $12,030 | $18,354 | 45.4% | 36,239 | $48,666 | 89.9% |
| Idaho (ID) | $5,528 | $11,384 | $10,555 | 52.4% | 99,609 | $47,237 | 89.6% |
| Colorado (CO) | $5,140 | $12,045 | $11,338 | 47.9% | 256,174 | $52,231 | 88.1% |
| Utah (UT) | $6,507 | $10,360 | $10,300 | 50.5% | 355,292 | $50,130 | 84.6% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 | $54,323 | 87.9% |
Educational attainment context (Wyoming)
U.S. Census ACS 2024 — adults age 25+.
- Bachelor's degree or higher: 30.6% of adults 25+
- Some college, no degree (ACS): 24.55%
Program completions produced in Wyoming (IPEDS 2024)
Award completions by CIP family — supply-side context for nursing, cosmetology, and other pathways. Not placement rates.
| Program area | Completions | Institutions |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing (CIP 51.38) | 439 | 8 |
| Cosmetology (CIP 12.04) | 69 | 3 |
| Computer Science (CIP 11.01) | 19 | 4 |
| Business (CIP 52.01) | 82 | 4 |
State workforce wages (BLS OEWS May 2024)
Context for graduate earnings — not a unemployment rate for recent grads (CEW state series not in repo).
- All occupations median annual wage: $49,160
- Education occupations (SOC 25-xxxx) median: $62,500
Program-level earnings in Wyoming (Scorecard)
- Median 1-yr post-completion program earnings (across reporting campuses): $83,493
- Median 4-yr post-completion: $100,911
- Campuses with program earnings data: 1
Public 4-year in-state tuition trend: Wyoming
Median published in-state tuition, public 4-year institutions. Source: College Scorecard multi-year pull.
Top college in Wyoming by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 58.8%, University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
Top college in Wyoming by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 90.0%, University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
Most selective college in Wyoming (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 96.9%, University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
Top college in Wyoming by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $83,493, University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
Top college in Wyoming by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $100,911, University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
Top college in Wyoming by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $48,360, University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
Top college in Wyoming by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $53,891, University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
Top college in Wyoming by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $56,880, University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
Top college in Wyoming by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $206,747, University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
Most affordable college in Wyoming (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $13,599, University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
Top college in Wyoming by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 79.7%, University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
In-state tuition: Wyoming vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Wyoming median in-state tuition is $4,706, -14.6% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Wyoming vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Wyoming is $8,811 (-34.4% vs U.S. median $13,432). Regional median: $10,555. Rank: #1 nationally of 48 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in Rocky Mountains of 5.
Median earnings (10 years out): Wyoming vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Wyoming center around $56,880 (+4.7% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Wyoming vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 90.0% at the median Wyoming campus (+2.1 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Wyoming median public in-state tuition is $4,706, about -14.6% vs the national median. Versus the Rocky Mountains region, tuition is -4.2%.
Median graduate debt is $8,811 (-34.4% below the U.S. median of $13,432, and -16.5% vs the Rocky Mountains regional median of $10,555). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Student debt rank: #1 nationally of 48 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in Rocky Mountains of 5 (1 = lowest median debt).
On published in-state tuition, Wyoming ranks #13 nationally (1 = lowest median sticker among states with data).
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Wyoming are $56,880, about +4.7% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,323).
The median campus reports 90.0% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 87.9% (+2.1 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 79.7% vs a U.S. median of 76.3%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 3.6% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 87.0% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Nationally, Wyoming ranks earnings #16 and employment proxy #20 on these outcome medians (1 = best).
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include University of Wyoming (90.0%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Wyoming is 43.2% (national institution average about 50.3%).
National Student Clearinghouse data cite roughly 80,854 residents with some college but no credential in Wyoming (YoY change 4.20%). That stock of incomplete credentials sits alongside the completion and employment metrics above.
FAQ
How much does college cost in Wyoming?
Median in-state tuition among reporting campuses in Wyoming is $4,706 and median net price is $8,404. U.S. medians are $5,512 (tuition) and $9,967 (net price). Wyoming tuition is about -14.6% vs the national median; net price is -15.7%.
What is typical student debt for graduates in Wyoming?
Median federal loan debt among completers in Wyoming is $8,811 vs a U.S. median of $13,432 (Wyoming ranks #1 nationally for median debt among states.)
What do graduates earn in Wyoming?
Median earnings 10 years after entry for Wyoming campuses reporting to the College Scorecard is $56,880 vs $54,323 nationally. Six-year medians are $48,360.
What share of Wyoming graduates are working after college?
The federal employment-outcome proxy used on this site (8-year cohort working and not enrolled) has a median of 90.0% in Wyoming vs 87.9% nationally.
How many colleges are in Wyoming?
This profile aggregates 8 campuses with cost or outcomes data in Wyoming and roughly 19,683 total reported enrollment.
What are the top colleges in Wyoming?
Rankings on this page are drawn from College Scorecard medians; standouts include highest 150%-time graduation rate: University of Wyoming; highest 10-year earnings: University of Wyoming; lowest net price among large campuses: University of Wyoming. See the ranked lists below for full details.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Wyoming?
Among 10 campuses in Wyoming, 2 campuses with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include Cheeks Beauty Academy and WyoTech.
How does Wyoming compare to its Census region?
Wyoming is in the Rocky Mountains region. Regional median in-state tuition is $4,912 and median debt is $10,555 vs $4,706 tuition and $8,811 debt in Wyoming.
Sources & related
- U.S. national benchmarks
- All college profiles
- Wyoming trade school profile
- States & cities with the most colleges
- Wyoming college costs drilldown
- Top colleges in Wyoming by ROI
- Student loan debt by state
- College enrollment statistics
- Supplemental: Census ACS attainment, IPEDS completions, BLS OEWS, NSC SCNC, tuition trends
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
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