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Colorado School of Mines
Colorado School of Mines says yes to 60.7% of applicants. Focus less on getting in and more on what's below — starting with the $97,335 median earnings.
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Colorado School of Mines occupies suburban Golden, CO — a public campus quieter than a downtown one, closer to one than a rural seat.
Its highest-earning path is Computer Science, where graduates median $127,217 four years out. 13.6% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 6,155 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 92.8% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1320 and 1470 — above the CO middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Colorado School of Mines's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Colorado School of Mines received 9,821 applications and admitted 5,864 (59.7%), with 1,450 enrolling.
You can apply to Colorado School of Mines without scores. Among admitted students who did submit, the middle half landed between 1320 and 1470; applicants below that range often simply apply without them.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 650 | 690 | 720 |
| SAT Math | 670 | 710 | 750 |
| ACT Composite | 29 | 31 | 33 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
How Colorado School of Mines compares
| Colorado School of Mines | Colorado median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 60.7% | 86.5% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $21,914 | $12,750 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $97,335 | $53,445 | $53,781 |
Earnings data favors Colorado School of Mines: $97,335 median at year ten, versus $53,445 across Colorado institutions.
Cost, size & completion
In-state students pay $21,914 in tuition; crossing a state border raises that to $45,824. For non-residents, Colorado School of Mines's $45,824 is the number to weigh against private options before assuming public means cheaper.
At 6,155 undergrads, Colorado School of Mines is a mid-sized campus by U.S. standards.
81.7% of Colorado School of Mines students finish a bachelor's within six years — 26.9 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $21,914 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Colorado School of Mines
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Computer Science | $127,217 |
| Petroleum Engineering | $116,691 |
| Mining and Mineral Engineering | $109,695 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $106,012 |
| Applied Mathematics | $98,190 |
| Engineering Physics | $97,497 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $97,087 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $95,142 |
| Metallurgical Engineering | $94,902 |
| Chemical Engineering | $94,598 |
| Civil Engineering | $94,228 |
| Geological/Geophysical Engineering | $88,484 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | $87,278 |
Median earnings for these 13 Colorado School of Mines programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $97,335 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 7 additional Colorado School of Mines programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Colorado School of Mines?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1320–1470 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 60.7% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Colorado School of Mines's acceptance rate?
59.7% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 5,864 admitted from 9,821 applicants.
How much does Colorado School of Mines cost?
In-state tuition is $21,914; out-of-state students pay $45,824. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do Colorado School of Mines graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $97,335 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Colorado
- University of Colorado Boulder — 78.1% admitted
- University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus — 74.7% admitted
- University of Denver — 77.8% admitted
- Fort Lewis College — 77.3% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.