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Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Colorado State University-Fort Collins admits nearly everyone — 88.5% of applicants. A feature, not a flaw: the page below asks whether Colorado State University-Fort Collins is worth attending, not whether you'll get in.
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Colorado State University-Fort Collins sits in Fort Collins proper — a public campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. It carries a land-grant charter — the 1862 mandate that ties it to agricultural and practical education.
Its highest-earning path is Computer and Information Sciences, General, where graduates median $114,076 four years out. Faculty pay averages $141,612 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 25,538 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 85.9% of first-years come back for a second year.
Colorado State University-Fort Collins won't look at test scores — here the GPA calculator is the tool that matters. Bring your saved semester numbers and see what they average.
Admissions
Colorado State University-Fort Collins does not use test scores in admissions at all: the 88.5% who got into Colorado State University-Fort Collins did it on GPA, coursework and application alone. No score range exists to publish.
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Colorado State University-Fort Collins received 36,612 applications and admitted 32,801 (89.6%), with 5,293 enrolling.
How Colorado State University-Fort Collins compares
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins | Colorado median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 88.5% | 86.5% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $13,373 | $12,750 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $60,543 | $53,445 | $53,781 |
Ten years after enrolling, the median Colorado State University-Fort Collins student earns $60,543 — 13% above the Colorado median of $53,445 for college-goers.
Cost, size & completion
As a public university, Colorado State University-Fort Collins prices by residency: $13,373 in-state versus $34,783 out-of-state — a $21,410 gap that makes state lines part of the decision.
25,538 undergraduates make Colorado State University-Fort Collins a large campus: broad course catalogs and big intro lectures come as a package.
66.5% graduate within six years. Roughly 33% don't — ask a Colorado State University-Fort Collins tour guide what happens to them and watch the answer carefully.
Top majors by earnings at Colorado State University-Fort Collins
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $114,076 |
| Information Science/Studies | $102,765 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $99,172 |
| Fire Protection | $98,019 |
| Chemical Engineering | $97,271 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | $94,921 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $94,260 |
| Civil Engineering | $88,001 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | $82,005 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $79,256 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $71,631 |
| Chemistry | $71,615 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $70,343 |
| Economics | $69,934 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | $69,269 |
| Political Science and Government | $67,873 |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services | $66,984 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $65,940 |
| Forestry | $62,919 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $62,556 |
| Interior Architecture | $61,894 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $61,434 |
| Biology, General | $60,981 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $60,835 |
| Nutrition Sciences | $59,528 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | $58,983 |
| Soil Sciences | $57,671 |
| Sociology | $57,300 |
| Apparel and Textiles | $57,184 |
| Biotechnology | $55,981 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | $55,647 |
| Social Work | $54,720 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | $54,370 |
| Psychology, General | $54,268 |
| Animal Sciences | $53,934 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $53,597 |
| Journalism | $53,528 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | $52,971 |
| History | $52,144 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $51,830 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $50,330 |
| International/Globalization Studies | $48,973 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $46,154 |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | $44,226 |
| Anthropology | $43,129 |
| Plant Sciences | $42,034 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $41,309 |
| Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services | $39,595 |
| Music | $39,414 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $34,552 |
Median earnings for these 50 Colorado State University-Fort Collins programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $60,543 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 21 additional Colorado State University-Fort Collins programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Colorado State University-Fort Collins?
Colorado State University-Fort Collins doesn't look at test scores; its 88.5% admission rate turned on transcripts, coursework rigor and the application itself.
What is Colorado State University-Fort Collins's acceptance rate?
89.6% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 32,801 admitted from 36,612 applicants.
How much does Colorado State University-Fort Collins cost?
In-state tuition is $13,373; out-of-state students pay $34,783. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do Colorado State University-Fort Collins graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $60,543 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Colorado
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs — 97.4% admitted
- Metropolitan State University of Denver — 98.8% admitted
- Naropa University — 100% admitted
- University of Northern Colorado — 85.9% 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.