COLLEGES · 30-YEAR ROI · FORT COLLINS, CO

Is Colorado State University-Fort Collins worth the money?

Yes — at resident pricing. A Colorado State University-Fort Collins degree clears +$984K in 30-year projected net value over skipping college and investing the difference.

A public four-year school in Fort Collins, Colorado, priced as a Colorado resident — earnings rolled up from 62 FREOPP-reported programs.

IPEDS 2023 cost · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · same model as /worth-it · this school clears positive net value.

Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO

30-year net value · resident pricing
+$984K
30-year net value · non-resident
+$277K
Median earnings · 10 yrs after entry
$55,354
Breaks even by age
—
Annual tuition · Colorado resident
$13,009
Annual tuition · out-of-state
$33,765
Total cost of attendance (4 years, sticker)
$114,460
Total cost of attendance · out-of-state
$197,484
FREOPP program coverage
62 programs

The out-of-state tax in Colorado, ranked

How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Colorado State University-Fort Collins runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the standard loan assumptions, a 30-year horizon, and Colorado’s own cost-of-living on the skip-college path. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of going vs. skipping and investing the difference, in real dollars.

What it isn’t: a verdict on every major. The school-level number averages across 62 FREOPP-reported programs — the field you pick swings it by over a million dollars on its own. We only publish school pages that clear positive net value at resident pricing; earnings roll up from at least three FREOPP programs (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t fake the number.

Questions

Is Colorado State University-Fort Collins worth the money?
At resident pricing, yes: Colorado State University-Fort Collins clears +$984K in 30-year projected net value versus skipping college and investing the difference. That is computed from a total cost of attendance of $114,460 and median earnings of $55,354 ten years after entry (IPEDS 2023 cost, FREOPP 2021 earnings, BEA 2023 cost-of-living — the same model as the LE TEEN calculator).
How much is tuition at Colorado State University-Fort Collins?
Colorado State University-Fort Collins's annual sticker tuition is $13,009 for Colorado residents and $33,765 for out-of-state students, before financial aid. Total cost of attendance over 4 years — tuition plus fees, housing, and living costs — is $114,460 (IPEDS 2023).
What is the total cost of Colorado State University-Fort Collins?
Over 4 years, Colorado State University-Fort Collins's sticker cost of attendance is $114,460 at resident pricing, or $197,484 out-of-state — tuition, fees, housing, and living costs at Colorado prices, before financial aid. Median earnings ten years after entry are $55,354.
What is out-of-state tuition at Colorado State University-Fort Collins?
Non-resident annual sticker tuition at Colorado State University-Fort Collins is $33,765, versus $13,009 for Colorado residents — a premium of $20,756 a year. Even at the non-resident rate, Colorado State University-Fort Collins clears positive 30-year net value.
How long until a Colorado State University-Fort Collins degree pays for itself?
Under our defaults the degree path finishes +$984K ahead at the 30-year horizon; the year-by-year crossover depends on your loan share and time horizon — run your own assumptions on the calculator.
What could change the number for Colorado State University-Fort Collins?
Two levers dominate. Residency: this page prices Colorado State University-Fort Collins as a Colorado resident; at non-resident tuition it still clears +$277K, but the gap is real money (see the out-of-state tax in Colorado). And the major: the field you pick swings lifetime ROI by over a million dollars on its own (see the majors pages).

Keep going

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Is Colorado State University-Fort Collins worth the money? 30-year ROI.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/colleges/colorado-state-university-fort-collins