Colorado Mesa vs. ETSU

Should I go to Colorado Mesa University or East Tennessee State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Colorado Mesa or ETSU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Colorado Mesa University vs. East Tennessee State University comparison
Colorado Mesa University East Tennessee State University College 3 College 4
Colorado Mesa University East Tennessee State University
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Overview

Colorado Mesa ETSU
Location Grand Junction, CO Johnson City, TN
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 8,905 13,483
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #886 #652
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mesastate.edu etsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Colorado Mesa ETSU
Tuition (In State) $8,261 $7,722
Tuition (Out of State) $21,983 $11,532
Room & Board $11,522 $9,613
Avg Net Price $15,085 $14,350
Avg Grant Aid $9,209 $8,739
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 100%

Admission

Colorado Mesa ETSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,810 9,609
Admitted 8,021 8,193
Acceptance Rate 81.8% 85.3%
Enrolled % 21.8% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.28 3.33
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/25 19/26
SAT Range 930/1180 980/1190
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

Colorado Mesa ETSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (26%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)

Outcomes

Colorado Mesa ETSU
Graduation Rate 25% 44%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,000 $40,000
Making Student Loan Payments 48% 50%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,750 $20,500
Median Loan Payment $224 $211

Diversity

Colorado Mesa ETSU
% Men 47% 37%
% Women 53% 63%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 70% 82%
% Black 3% 7%
% Hispanic 17% 2%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 1% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Colorado Mesa ETSU
% In-State 83% 75%
% Out-of-State 16% 23%

Campus

Colorado Mesa ETSU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • East Tennessee State University is larger than than Colorado Mesa based on total student enrollment (13,483 students vs. 8,905 students)

Colorado Mesa vs. ETSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Colorado Mesa or ETSU?

  • Colorado Mesa University is 7% more expensive to attend than ETSU for in-state tuition ($8,261.00 vs. $7,722.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 90.6% higher at Colorado Mesa than East Tennessee State University ($21,983.00 vs. $11,532.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at East Tennessee State University than Colorado Mesa ($14,350 vs. $15,085)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at East Tennessee State University are 19.9% lower than costs at Colorado Mesa University ($9,613 vs. $11,522)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at East Tennessee State University than Colorado Mesa University (100% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Colorado Mesa University students is 5.4% larger than aid received East Tennessee State University ($9,209 vs. $8,739)

Colorado Mesa vs. ETSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Colorado Mesa or ETSU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between ETSU or Colorado Mesa .

  • The average SAT score at East Tennessee State University (1068) is 116 points higher than at Colorado Mesa (952)
  • Incoming ETSU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Colorado Mesa (20)
  • Accepted freshman ETSU students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.33) than students at Colorado Mesa (3.28)
  • ETSU has a higher acceptance rate (85.3%) than Colorado Mesa (81.8%)

Colorado Mesa vs. ETSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Colorado Mesa or ETSU? 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 ETSU and Colorado Mesa.

  • The graduation rate at ETSU is higher than Colorado Mesa University (44% vs. 25%)
  • Graduates of Colorado Mesa University and ETSU have equivalent average earnings after ten years ($40,000 vs. $40,000)
  • East Tennessee State University students graduate with a $1,250 lower median federal student loan debt than Colorado Mesa graduates. ($20,500 vs. $21,750)
  • ETSU graduates are paying $13 less per month on federal student loans than Colorado Mesa graduates. ($211 vs. $224)
  • More ETSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Colorado Mesa students, three years after graduation. (50% vs. 48%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/