Lakewood, Colorado Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
EDsmart Data analysis of 2024 College Scorecard data for Lakewood, Colorado shows: median public in-state tuition $15,977 (+189.9% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $46,687 (-14.1% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 83.0% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $14,892 (+10.9% vs U.S.) 12,838 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 6 campuses
- Total college enrollment: 12,838 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $15,977 (+189.9% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $46,687 (-14.1% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 83.0% (-5.0 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $26,083 (+161.7% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $14,892 (+10.9% vs U.S. $13,432); regional median $10,555
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 32.0%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 68.9%
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Overview
EDsmart Data summarizes higher-education outcomes for campuses in Lakewood, Colorado—costs, debt, enrollment, completion, earnings, and standout institutions—against Colorado and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Lakewood vs Colorado & 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood, Colorado | $15,977 | $26,083 | $14,892 | 32.0% | 12,838 |
| Colorado (state median) | $5,140 | $12,045 | $11,338 | 47.9% | 256,174 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Lakewood, Colorado 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood, Colorado | $46,687 | 83.0% | 68.9% | 5.8% | — | 67.6% | 0.64 |
| Colorado (state median) | $52,231 | 88.1% | 72.5% | 4.5% | — | 70.7% | 0.39 |
| United States | $54,323 | 87.9% | 76.3% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Other cities in Colorado (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood, Colorado | $15,977 | $26,083 | $14,892 | 32.0% | 12,838 | $46,687 | 83.0% |
| Denver | $11,124 | $18,397 | $20,436 | 53.6% | 55,272 | $71,630 | 88.2% |
| Colorado Springs | $12,750 | $21,374 | $11,338 | 33.8% | 50,355 | $48,054 | 81.5% |
| Boulder | $26,143 | $27,262 | $19,500 | 55.4% | 40,794 | $49,229 | 77.1% |
| Fort Collins | $13,373 | $21,279 | $14,375 | 66.5% | 25,877 | $60,543 | 90.3% |
| Greeley | $7,337 | $14,612 | $7,917 | 45.4% | 9,246 | $52,231 | 90.2% |
| Littleton | $4,434 | $14,354 | $11,276 | 29.1% | 5,431 | N/A | N/A |
| Aurora | $8,256 | $16,666 | $10,500 | 63.6% | 5,026 | $34,657 | 79.2% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 | $54,323 | 87.9% |
Top 10 colleges in Lakewood, Colorado 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, 64.4%, Colorado Christian University
Colorado Christian University
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 31.8%, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Top 10 colleges in Lakewood, Colorado 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, 84.7%, Colorado Christian University
Colorado Christian University
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 81.3%, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Top 10 colleges in Lakewood, Colorado 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, $75,288, Colorado Christian University
Colorado Christian University
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $37,268, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Top 10 colleges in Lakewood, Colorado 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, $91,195, Colorado Christian University
Colorado Christian University
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $48,472, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Top 10 colleges in Lakewood, Colorado 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, $41,623, Colorado Christian University
Colorado Christian University
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $30,280, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Top 10 colleges in Lakewood, Colorado 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, $44,365, Colorado Christian University
Colorado Christian University
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $37,813, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Top 10 colleges in Lakewood, Colorado 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, $50,416, Colorado Christian University
Colorado Christian University
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $42,958, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Top 10 colleges in Lakewood, Colorado 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, $99,498, Colorado Christian University
Colorado Christian University
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $45,298, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Top 10 most affordable colleges in Lakewood, Colorado (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, $29,500, Colorado Christian University
Colorado Christian University
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Rank 2, Net Price, $32,363, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Top 10 colleges in Lakewood, Colorado 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, 83.7%, Colorado Christian University
Colorado Christian University
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 54.0%, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
In-state tuition: Lakewood, Colorado vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Lakewood, Colorado median in-state tuition is $15,977, +189.9% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Lakewood, Colorado vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Lakewood, Colorado is $14,892 (+10.9% vs U.S. median $13,432). Regional median: $10,555.
Median earnings (10 years out): Lakewood, Colorado vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Lakewood, Colorado center around $46,687 (-14.1% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Lakewood, Colorado vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 83.0% at the median Lakewood, Colorado campus (-5.0 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
Lakewood, Colorado median public in-state tuition is $15,977, about +189.9% vs the national median. Versus the Rocky Mountains region, tuition is +225.3%.
Median graduate debt is $14,892 (+10.9% above the U.S. median of $13,432). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Lakewood, Colorado are $46,687, about -14.1% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,323).
The median campus reports 83.0% 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% (-5.0 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 68.9% 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 5.8% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 67.6% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Colorado Christian University (84.7%), Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (81.3%)—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 Lakewood, Colorado is 32.0% (national institution average about 50.3%).
FAQ
How many colleges are in Lakewood?
EDsmart Data analysis: this city profile covers 6 campuses in Lakewood, Colorado with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Lakewood?
EDsmart Data analysis: median in-state tuition in Lakewood is $15,977 and median net price is $26,083. For Colorado overall, medians are $5,140 and $12,045; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,967.
What do graduates earn in Lakewood?
EDsmart Data analysis: median 10-year earnings for campuses in Lakewood is $46,687 vs $52,231 for Colorado and $54,323 nationally.
What is student debt like for Lakewood colleges?
EDsmart Data analysis: median completer debt in Lakewood is $14,892 vs $11,338 for Colorado and $13,432 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Lakewood?
EDsmart Data analysis: top campuses on this page include Colorado Christian University (graduation) and Colorado Christian University (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Lakewood?
EDsmart Data analysis: among 6 campuses in Lakewood, Colorado, 1 campus with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include Paul Mitchell the School-Denver; 1 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campus (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Undenominational (1).
Sources & related
- Colorado college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON