As students get ready to head back to college, Money magazine has ranked what it believes are the best colleges and universities in the U.S.
No university in Colorado received the top rating — five stars — in Money's 2025 Best Colleges in America report, but three did receive at least four stars. Colorado School of Mines stood out, landing on a pair of “best of” lists and scoring higher than the rest.
In all, Money scored more than 700 public and private four-year higher-education institutions in three categories: affordability, quality of education and student outcomes. The 25 factors considered include graduation rates, debt load for graduates and future earning potential.
“There isn’t one ‘best’ college for every student, but our star ratings on more than 700 colleges can help you build a list of standout schools that fit your budget,” the report says.
This is Colorado's best college, according to Money
Colorado School of Mines in Golden was the only Colorado university to receive 4.5 stars or make any of Money’s “best of” lists. It was recognized as one of the best colleges in the West as well as one of the best public colleges in the U.S.
Mines stood out in part because of typical early career annual earnings above $97,000 for graduates, the second highest for the best public universities in the U.S. and fifth among the best in the West.
Mines also posted a graduation rate of 84% and estimated cost of attendance after average financial aid a little under $32,000 for 2025-26.
More: Colorado has one of the ‘most beautiful’ college campuses, ranking shows. See why
Which Colorado colleges received 4 stars from Money?
One public school and one private university and received four stars.
Colorado State University, Fort Collins
Regis University, Denver
Which Colorado colleges earned 3.5 stars?
The majority of universities nationally earned at least 3.5 stars.
Colorado College, Colorado Springs
University of Colorado, Boulder
University of Denver, Denver
Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: What is the top college in Colorado? Here's which one Money picks
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