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Colorado State CU Denver U of A DU Colorado School of Mines Utah UCCS UC Riverside San Diego State UB Penn State UCI| Arizona State University | University of Colorado Boulder | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
ASU | CU Boulder | ||
| Location | Tempe, AZ | Boulder, CO | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Small City | ||
| Enrollment | 79,593 | 41,432 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #384 | #197 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | asu.edu | colorado.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
ASU | CU Boulder | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $11,308 | $14,784 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $31,450 | $40,297 | ||
| Room & Board | $16,091 | $16,950 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $16,401 | $22,640 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $11,992 | $10,838 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 89% | 54% |
Admission |
ASU | CU Boulder | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 68,840 | 56,069 | ||
| Admitted | 62,084 | 46,692 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 90.2% | 83.3% | ||
| Enrolled % | 22.7% | 16.2% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.54 | 3.68 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Challenging | Very High | ||
| Applicant Competition | ||||
| ACT Range | 21/28 | 28/33 | ||
| SAT Range | 1100/1320 | 1230/1420 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 15, 2026 |
Academics |
ASU | CU Boulder | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 18:1 | 19:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
ASU | CU Boulder | ||
| Graduation Rate | 57% | 68% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $52,600 | $56,900 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 57% | 73% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $20,278 | $19,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $209 | $201 |
Diversity |
ASU | CU Boulder | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 10% | 14% | ||
| % Women | 8% | 9% | ||
| Racial Diversity | High | Low | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 52% | 71% | ||
| % Black | 4% | 2% | ||
| % Hispanic | 19% | 11% | ||
| % Native American | 1% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 4% | 5% | ||
| % International | 12% | 6% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 1% | 1% |
Students |
ASU | CU Boulder | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 61% | 53% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 32% | 45% | ||
Campus |
ASU | CU Boulder | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | Yes | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Arizona State University is larger than than CU Boulder based on total student enrollment (79,593 students vs. 41,432 students)
ASU vs. CU Boulder Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, ASU or CU Boulder?
- University of Colorado Boulder is 30.7% more expensive to attend than ASU for in-state tuition ($14,784.00 vs. $11,308.00)
- Out of state tuition is 28.1% higher at CU Boulder than Arizona State University ($40,297.00 vs. $31,450.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Arizona State University than CU Boulder ($16,401 vs. $22,640)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Arizona State University are 5.3% lower than costs at University of Colorado Boulder ($16,091 vs. $16,950)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Arizona State University than University of Colorado Boulder (89% vs. 54%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Arizona State University students is 10.6% larger than aid received University of Colorado Boulder ($11,992 vs. $10,838)
ASU vs. CU Boulder Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, ASU or CU Boulder? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between CU Boulder or ASU .
- The average SAT score at University of Colorado Boulder (1212) is 54 points higher than at ASU (1158)
- Incoming CU Boulder students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at ASU (26)
- Accepted freshman CU Boulder students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.68) than students at ASU (3.54)
- ASU has a higher acceptance rate (90.2%) than CU Boulder (83.3%)
ASU vs. CU Boulder Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, ASU or CU Boulder? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between CU Boulder and ASU.
- The graduation rate at CU Boulder is higher than Arizona State University (68% vs. 57%)
- Graduates from University of Colorado Boulder earn on average $4,300 more per year than ASU graduates after ten years. ($56,900 vs. $52,600)
- University of Colorado Boulder students graduate with a $778 lower median federal student loan debt than ASU graduates. ($19,500 vs. $20,278)
- CU Boulder graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than ASU graduates. ($201 vs. $209)
- More CU Boulder graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ASU students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 57%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/