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Overall Score: 75.68

Colorado School of Mines

Colorado School of Mines, also referred to as just Mines, is a small public research university at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, about 20 miles from both Denver and Boulder. Its principal academic focus is on engineering and applied science, with what it calls a "mission to enhance understanding of the earth, energy, and the environment." The university has over 5,000 undergraduate students, who go on to earn early career salaries of just over $90,000 a year. Admission is competitive, and students report that the curriculum is rigorous, with classes taught by professors who care. Athletes abound: The Orediggers play baseball, golf, soccer and more in the NCAA's Division II. Mines students can also choose from more than 250 organizations or head off campus to check out a dozen nearby ski areas. A favorite campus tradition is E-Days, or Engineering Days, which takes place every spring and includes not only a cardboard boat race in a Colorado river but also concerts, a Tesla coil demonstration and fireworks on campus. Another fun fact: Rather than a parchment diploma, graduates of Mines receive a silver diploma engraved with degree details.

Costs

Est. full price 2022-2023
$38,200
% of students who get any grants
76%
Est. price for students who receive aid
$29,200
Average price for low-income students
$16,980

Admissions

Acceptance rate
53%
Median SAT/ACT score
1310/30
SAT/ACT required?
No
Undergraduate enrollment
5,100

Financial Aid

% of students with need who get grants
58%
% of need met
58%
% of students who get merit grants
33%
Average merit grant
$8,400

Student Success

Graduation rate
83%
Average time to a degree
4.2 years
Median student debt
$23,250
Early career earnings
$90,060
% earning more than a high school grad
90%

Notes: Students who get merit grants are full-time undergraduates who had no financial need and were awarded grants. Graduation rate measures degree completion within six years for both transfer students and first-time students. Early career earnings are the median earnings for both graduates and non-completers, 10 years after they first enrolled.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, Money/Witlytic calculations.

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