CU Denver vs. Western State Colorado University

University of Colorado Denver vs. Western State Colorado University comparison

	University of Colorado Denver	Western State Colorado University	College 3	College 4
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Overview	CU Denver	Western State Colorado University
Location	Denver, CO	Gunnison, CO
Setting	Large City	Remote Town
Enrollment	23,744	3,548
Type	Public 4 Year	Public 4 Year
National Ranking	#387	#709
Religious Affiliation	-	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	ucdenver.edu	western.edu
Team Colors

Comparable Facts

• University of Colorado Denver is larger than than Western State Colorado University based on total student enrollment (23,744 students vs. 3,548 students)

CU Denver vs. Western State Colorado University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CU Denver or Western State Colorado University?

• University of Colorado Denver is 26% more expensive to attend than Western State Colorado University for in-state tuition ($8,736.00 vs. $6,936.00)
• Out of state tuition is 37.1% higher at CU Denver than Western State Colorado University ($25,992.00 vs. $18,960.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Colorado Denver than Western State Colorado University ($16,079 vs. $16,672)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Western State Colorado University are 38.3% lower than costs at University of Colorado Denver ($10,286 vs. $14,230)
• More students receive financial grant aid at University of Colorado Denver than Western State Colorado University (93% vs. 91%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by University of Colorado Denver students is 2.1% larger than aid received Western State Colorado University ($9,384 vs. $9,189)

CU Denver vs. Western State Colorado University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at University of Colorado Denver (1055) is 91 points higher than at Western State Colorado University (964)
• Incoming CU Denver students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Western State Colorado University (20)
• Accepted freshman CU Denver students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.46) than students at Western State Colorado University (3.42)
• Western State Colorado University has a higher acceptance rate (91.8%) than CU Denver (74.6%)

CU Denver vs. Western State Colorado University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CU Denver or Western State Colorado University? 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 Western State Colorado University and CU Denver.

• The graduation rate at CU Denver is higher than Western State Colorado University (40% vs. 39%)
• Graduates from University of Colorado Denver earn on average $27,400 more per year than Western State Colorado University graduates after ten years. ($68,200 vs. $40,800)
• University of Colorado Denver students graduate with a $310 lower median federal student loan debt than Western State Colorado University graduates. ($21,190 vs. $21,500)
• CU Denver graduates are paying $3 less per month on federal student loans than Western State Colorado University graduates. ($219 vs. $222)
• More CU Denver graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Western State Colorado University students, three years after graduation. (61% vs. 61%)

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