HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

University of Colorado Boulder vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins

University of Colorado Boulder clears +$1.35M in 30-year net value, Colorado State University-Fort Collins +$984K — both pay off, University of Colorado Boulder by +$371K.

Two CO public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO

clears more

30-year net value
+$1.35M
Total cost of attendance
$130,024
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$60,681
Breaks even by age
46

Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO

30-year net value
+$984K
Total cost of attendance
$114,460
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$55,354
Breaks even by age
—
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “University of Colorado Boulder vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/colorado-vs-colorado-state

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Questions

Is University of Colorado Boulder or Colorado State University-Fort Collins a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, University of Colorado Boulder clears +$1.35M and Colorado State University-Fort Collins +$984K — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; University of Colorado Boulder comes out ahead by +$371K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does University of Colorado Boulder pay off than Colorado State University-Fort Collins?
About +$371K over a 30-year horizon (+$1.35M vs +$984K in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from University of Colorado Boulder?
+$1.35M at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $130,024, median earnings ten years out $60,681, breaking even around age 46. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.