Top Rated Colorado Public Colleges
These are the top ranked public four-year colleges in Colorado as ranked by CollegeSimply. Leading the rankings for 2027 as the best public college in Colorado is Colorado School of Mines. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
Colorado School of Mines
- Public 4 Year
- Golden, CO
-
4.6 | 5 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Mines is a public university known for undergraduate engineering focused on mining, petroleum, and the earth sciences. The Golden campus sits against the Rocky Mountain foothills west of Denver.
- SAT Range 1320-1480
- Avg GPA 3.84
- Acceptance Rate 61%
- Net Price $29,925
University of Colorado Boulder
- Public 4 Year
- Boulder, CO
-
4.0 | 6 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
CU Boulder is a large public university known for undergraduate aerospace engineering, environmental sciences, and physics. The campus sits against the Flatirons in the college town of Boulder.
- SAT Range 1240-1430
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $26,231
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
- Public 4 Year
- Denver, CO
-
3.0 | 5 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
CU Denver is a public university known for undergraduate architecture, business, and engineering. The urban campuses include downtown Denver and the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.
- SAT Range 980-1220
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $14,831
Colorado State University Fort Collins
- Public 4 Year
- Fort Collins, CO
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
Colorado State is a large public university known for undergraduate natural resources, agriculture, and engineering. The campus sits in the college town of Fort Collins near the Rocky Mountain foothills.
- SAT Range 1080-1290
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $21,011
University of Northern Colorado
- Public 4 Year
- Greeley, CO
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Northern Colorado is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and performing arts. The campus is located in Greeley in northern Colorado.
- SAT Range 950-1190
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $19,376
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
- Public 4 Year
- Colorado Springs, CO
-
| 0 reviews
UCCS is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and business. The campus faces the Front Range foothills with views of Pikes Peak.
- SAT Range 1010-1220
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $16,942
Fort Lewis College
- Public 4 Year
- Durango, CO
-
3.5 | 2 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Fort Lewis is a public liberal arts college known for undergraduate adventure education, environmental studies, and Native American studies. The mountain campus is in Durango near the San Juan Mountains.
- SAT Range 1010-1210
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $17,114
Colorado State University Pueblo
- Public 4 Year
- Pueblo, CO
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
CSU Pueblo is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and exercise science. Most students study on a campus in the southern Colorado city of Pueblo.
- SAT Range 870-1100
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $13,079
Colorado Mesa University
- Public 4 Year
- Grand Junction, CO
-
| 0 reviews
Colorado Mesa is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and outdoor recreation. The Grand Junction campus sits on Colorado's Western Slope near the Colorado National Monument.
- SAT Range 930-1160
- Avg GPA 3.28
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $15,590
Metropolitan State University of Denver
- Public 4 Year
- Denver, CO
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
MSU Denver is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, aviation, and business. Most students commute to the shared Auraria Campus in downtown Denver.
- SAT Range 880-1130
- Avg GPA 3.03
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $14,584
Adams State University
- Public 4 Year
- Alamosa, CO
-
| 0 reviews
Adams State is a small public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The campus sits in rural Alamosa in Colorado's San Luis Valley.
- SAT Range 910-1130
- Avg GPA 3.2
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $13,340
Western Colorado University
- Public 4 Year
- Gunnison, CO
-
| 0 reviews
Western Colorado is a small public university known for undergraduate outdoor recreation, environmental studies, and exercise science. Gunnison is a high-elevation mountain town in the Colorado Rockies.
- SAT Range 1163-1353
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $17,711