Colorado Mesa vs. USC Aiken

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

Colorado Mesa USC Aiken
Location Grand Junction, CO Aiken, SC
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 8,905 3,840
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #886 #888
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mesastate.edu usca.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Colorado Mesa USC Aiken
Tuition (In State) $8,261 $10,398
Tuition (Out of State) $21,983 $20,856
Room & Board $11,522 $8,376
Avg Net Price $15,085 $11,872
Avg Grant Aid $9,209 $9,891
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 100%

Admission

Colorado Mesa USC Aiken
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,810 2,453
Admitted 8,021 1,855
Acceptance Rate 81.8% 75.6%
Enrolled % 21.8% 29.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.28 3.19
Typical High School Grades B B
Admissions Standards Easy Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/25 18/24
SAT Range 930/1180 950/1180
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 USC Aiken
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (26%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)

Outcomes

Colorado Mesa USC Aiken
Graduation Rate 25% 41%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,000 $39,600
Making Student Loan Payments 48% 54%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,750 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $224 $268

Diversity

Colorado Mesa USC Aiken
% Men 47% 36%
% Women 53% 64%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 70% 58%
% Black 3% 27%
% Hispanic 17% 4%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 1% 4%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

Colorado Mesa USC Aiken
% In-State 83% 87%
% Out-of-State 16% 11%

Campus

Colorado Mesa USC Aiken
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

  • Colorado Mesa University is larger than than USC Aiken based on total student enrollment (8,905 students vs. 3,840 students)

Colorado Mesa vs. USC Aiken Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Colorado Mesa or USC Aiken?

  • University of South Carolina Aiken is 25.9% more expensive to attend than Colorado Mesa for in-state tuition ($10,398.00 vs. $8,261.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.4% higher at Colorado Mesa than University of South Carolina Aiken ($21,983.00 vs. $20,856.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of South Carolina Aiken than Colorado Mesa ($11,872 vs. $15,085)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of South Carolina Aiken are 37.6% lower than costs at Colorado Mesa University ($8,376 vs. $11,522)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of South Carolina Aiken than Colorado Mesa University (100% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of South Carolina Aiken students is 7.4% larger than aid received Colorado Mesa University ($9,891 vs. $9,209)

Colorado Mesa vs. USC Aiken Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of South Carolina Aiken (976) is 24 points higher than at Colorado Mesa (952)
  • Incoming USC Aiken students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at Colorado Mesa (20)
  • Accepted freshman Colorado Mesa students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.28) than students at USC Aiken (3.19)
  • Colorado Mesa has a higher acceptance rate (81.8%) than USC Aiken (75.6%)

Colorado Mesa vs. USC Aiken Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Colorado Mesa or USC Aiken? 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 USC Aiken and Colorado Mesa.

  • The graduation rate at USC Aiken is higher than Colorado Mesa University (41% vs. 25%)
  • Graduates from Colorado Mesa University earn on average $400 more per year than USC Aiken graduates after ten years. ($40,000 vs. $39,600)
  • Colorado Mesa University students graduate with a $4,250 lower median federal student loan debt than USC Aiken graduates. ($21,750 vs. $26,000)
  • Colorado Mesa graduates are paying $44 less per month on federal student loans than USC Aiken graduates. ($224 vs. $268)
  • More USC Aiken graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Colorado Mesa students, three years after graduation. (54% vs. 48%)

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