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Colorado has an active higher education community, with dozens of degree-giving institutions across the state. But how does it compare with the other states it shares a border with? Here are the facts and figures about how student life in Colorado shapes up compared to its seven neighbors.

Colorado

First off, Colorado has 88 higher education institutions within its borders, with 33 public and 55 private. Meanwhile, the Centennial State’s average tuition is $19,410, while there is a total student population of 367,503. There is an average acceptance rate of 79.3 per cent, while an average of 58.83 per cent of college students graduated. Students in Colorado can enjoy a student-to-faculty ratio of 16.03 to one.

Arizona

Arizona may only have the tiniest border with Colorado, bumping into it at the Four Corners Monument, but it is a neighbor, so it is on this list. In the Grand Canyon State, students have an option of 122 colleges and universities, with 43 public and 79 private. The average tuition is $18,326, and there are more than 659,000 students. In total, 83.02 per cent of students are accepted, but just 53.31 graduate, and there is a student-to-faculty rate of 19.43 to one. Nonetheless, Arizona is very peculiar because student life is quite exciting. In addition to on-campus activities, students can enjoy casino gameplay on several trusted and top rated iGaming platforms available to residents in the state.

Kansas

Kansas is one of Colorado’s Midwestern, rather than Western, neighbors. Sunflower State Students can choose between 80 colleges and universities, with 36 public and 44 private. Tuition runs to $16,614, while acceptance stands at 77.78 per cent and graduation at 52.42 per cent. The state’s college learners have one faculty member for every 13.61 members of its 192,782-strong student population.

Nebraska

Nebraska is Colorado’s other Midwestern neighbor. In the Cornhusker State, there are 40 higher education institutions, with 16 public and 24 private. Its 138,323 students pay an average of $18,779 in tuition, while acceptance stands at 71.46 per cent and graduation at 56.19 per cent. Academics at Nebraskan universities may have a lot of time for their students, with an average student-to-faculty ratio of 12.59 to one.

New Mexico

New Mexico, which sits to the south of Colorado, has 42 colleges and universities. Its 28 public institutions outweigh its 14 private ones by two to one. There are average acceptance rates of 69.61 per cent and 111,036 students. Just 42.17 per cent of them graduate, though. There are 13.98 students for every faculty member, and those students pay $15,061 in tuition.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma packs something of a punch in higher education. There are 105 colleges and universities in the Sooner State, with 63 public and 42 private. Tuition comes in at $15,793, and acceptance is 76.79 per cent. The rest of the figures don’t make for such good reading, though. Just 44.85 per cent of Oklahoma’s 201,263 students graduate, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 16.18 to one.  

Utah

Utah has 59 universities – 16 public and 43 private – while 82 per cent of students are accepted. There is a sizable student population of 436,412, despite tuition of $24,700 and a graduation rate of 55.33 per cent. The Beehive State’s academic institutions hiring doesn’t quite appear to have caught up with its enrollment, though, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 20.79 to one.

Wyoming

Wyoming is, thanks to its status as the least populated state, something of an outlier. It only has 10 universities, with eight private and two public, while tuition costs $14,691. Acceptance stands at an impressive 97.41 per cent, but graduation is just 47.33 per cent. There are 14.22 students per faculty member. With just 30,192 students across the Cowboy State, there are more students at the University of Colorado Boulder than there are in the whole of the Wyoming education system.