Colorado Mesa vs. Eastern

Should I go to Colorado Mesa University or Eastern Kentucky University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Colorado Mesa or Eastern 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. Eastern Kentucky University comparison
Colorado Mesa University Eastern Kentucky University College 3 College 4
Colorado Mesa University Eastern Kentucky University
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Overview

 Colorado Mesa Eastern
Location Grand Junction, CO Richmond, KY
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 8,905 14,324
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #886 #854
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mesastate.edu eku.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Colorado Mesa Eastern
Tuition (In State) $8,261 $9,544
Tuition (Out of State) $21,983 $19,922
Room & Board $11,522 $10,360
Avg Net Price $15,085 $10,806
Avg Grant Aid $9,209 $10,583
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 98%

Admission

 Colorado Mesa Eastern
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,810 15,821
Admitted 8,021 10,174
Acceptance Rate 81.8% 64.3%
Enrolled % 21.8% 26.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.28 3.39
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Easy Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/25 17/24
SAT Range 930/1180 940/1185
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 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 Colorado Mesa Eastern
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 (16%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (14%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)

Outcomes

 Colorado Mesa Eastern
Graduation Rate 25% 38%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,000 $37,900
Making Student Loan Payments 48% 49%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,750 $23,695
Median Loan Payment $224 $245

Diversity

 Colorado Mesa Eastern
% Men 47% 39%
% Women 53% 61%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 70% 85%
% Black 3% 6%
% Hispanic 17% 2%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 Colorado Mesa Eastern
% In-State 83% 91%
% Out-of-State 16% 9%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Eastern Kentucky University is larger than than Colorado Mesa based on total student enrollment (14,324 students vs. 8,905 students)

Colorado Mesa vs. Eastern Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Colorado Mesa or Eastern?

  • Eastern Kentucky University is 15.5% more expensive to attend than Colorado Mesa for in-state tuition ($9,544.00 vs. $8,261.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 10.3% higher at Colorado Mesa than Eastern Kentucky University ($21,983.00 vs. $19,922.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Eastern Kentucky University than Colorado Mesa ($10,806 vs. $15,085)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Eastern Kentucky University are 11.2% lower than costs at Colorado Mesa University ($10,360 vs. $11,522)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Eastern Kentucky University than Colorado Mesa University (98% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Eastern Kentucky University students is 14.9% larger than aid received Colorado Mesa University ($10,583 vs. $9,209)

Colorado Mesa vs. Eastern Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Eastern Kentucky University (1028) is 76 points higher than at Colorado Mesa (952)
  • Incoming Eastern students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Colorado Mesa (20)
  • Accepted freshman Eastern students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.39) than students at Colorado Mesa (3.28)
  • Colorado Mesa has a higher acceptance rate (81.8%) than Eastern (64.3%)

Colorado Mesa vs. Eastern Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Eastern is higher than Colorado Mesa University (38% vs. 25%)
  • Graduates from Colorado Mesa University earn on average $2,100 more per year than Eastern graduates after ten years. ($40,000 vs. $37,900)
  • Colorado Mesa University students graduate with a $1,945 lower median federal student loan debt than Eastern graduates. ($21,750 vs. $23,695)
  • Colorado Mesa graduates are paying $21 less per month on federal student loans than Eastern graduates. ($224 vs. $245)
  • More Eastern graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Colorado Mesa students, three years after graduation. (49% vs. 48%)

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