Colorado Mesa vs. Wright State

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

 Colorado Mesa Wright State
Location Grand Junction, CO Dayton, OH
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 8,905 9,678
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #886 #873
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mesastate.edu wright.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Colorado Mesa Wright State
Tuition (In State) $8,261 $10,814
Tuition (Out of State) $21,983 $20,232
Room & Board $11,522 $10,686
Avg Net Price $15,085 $15,650
Avg Grant Aid $9,209 $8,867
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 92%

Admission

 Colorado Mesa Wright State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,810 7,162
Admitted 8,021 6,820
Acceptance Rate 81.8% 95.2%Open
Enrolled % 21.8% 18.8%Open
Avg High School GPA 3.28 3.41
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/25 17/24
SAT Range 930/1180 913/1168
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 23, 2025

Academics

 Colorado Mesa Wright State
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 14:1
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 (29%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Education (7%)

Outcomes

 Colorado Mesa Wright State
Graduation Rate 25% 40%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,000 $43,400
Making Student Loan Payments 48% 51%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,750 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $224 $258

Diversity

 Colorado Mesa Wright State
% Men 47% 45%
% Women 53% 55%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 70% 72%
% Black 3% 12%
% Hispanic 17% 3%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 1% 5%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 Colorado Mesa Wright State
% In-State 83% 95%
% Out-of-State 16% 5%

Campus

 Colorado Mesa Wright State
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

  • Wright State University Main Campus is larger than than Colorado Mesa based on total student enrollment (9,678 students vs. 8,905 students)

Colorado Mesa vs. Wright State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Colorado Mesa or Wright State?

  • Wright State University Main Campus is 30.9% more expensive to attend than Colorado Mesa for in-state tuition ($10,814.00 vs. $8,261.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.7% higher at Colorado Mesa than Wright State University Main Campus ($21,983.00 vs. $20,232.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Colorado Mesa University than Wright State ($15,085 vs. $15,650)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wright State University Main Campus are 7.8% lower than costs at Colorado Mesa University ($10,686 vs. $11,522)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wright State University Main Campus than Colorado Mesa University (92% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Colorado Mesa University students is 3.9% larger than aid received Wright State University Main Campus ($9,209 vs. $8,867)

Colorado Mesa vs. Wright State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wright State University Main Campus (1034) is 82 points higher than at Colorado Mesa (952)
  • Incoming Wright State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Colorado Mesa (20)
  • Accepted freshman Wright State students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.41) than students at Colorado Mesa (3.28)
  • Wright State has a higher acceptance rate (95.2%) than Colorado Mesa (81.8%)

Colorado Mesa vs. Wright State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Colorado Mesa or Wright State? 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 Wright State and Colorado Mesa.

  • The graduation rate at Wright State is higher than Colorado Mesa University (40% vs. 25%)
  • Graduates from Wright State University Main Campus earn on average $3,400 more per year than Colorado Mesa graduates after ten years. ($43,400 vs. $40,000)
  • Colorado Mesa University students graduate with a $3,250 lower median federal student loan debt than Wright State graduates. ($21,750 vs. $25,000)
  • Colorado Mesa graduates are paying $34 less per month on federal student loans than Wright State graduates. ($224 vs. $258)
  • More Wright State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Colorado Mesa students, three years after graduation. (51% vs. 48%)

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