We have compiled a list of online colleges in Colorado, ranked by Salary Score and online enrollment. This data-driven approach empowers you to make informed decisions about your future. View our methodology for more details about our list, or learn about OnlineU. To find other colleges near you, check out our list of online colleges by state.
2024 Best Online Colleges in Colorado
#1 University of Colorado Denver
- Salary Score: A
- Median Earnings: $76,596
- Online Enrollment: 4,713 enrolled
- Location: Denver
The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) offers several online bachelor’s degree programs you can choose from. In addition, you can pursue online master’s degrees and certificate programs if you want to further your education after obtaining a bachelor’s degree. A few of CU Denver’s online bachelor’s degree programs are anthropology, communication, economics, film studies, geography, and public policy.
Why we like them: CU Denver provides you with the necessary online support to succeed. As an online student, you’ll get access to advising, disability services, tutoring, and a writing center. CU Denver facilitates online learning using the learning management system Canvas. Canvas is a one-stop shop for accessing your courses, contacting professors, and connecting with your fellow classmates through discussion boards.
#2 Regis University
- Salary Score: A
- Median Earnings: $76,263
- Online Enrollment: 1,165 enrolled
- Location: Denver
The Roman Catholic school, Regis University (RU), is a private and nonprofit institution offering dozens of online degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, along with online nondegree-granting graduate certificates. A few examples of online bachelor’s degrees you can pursue include a Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology, a Bachelor of Science in Criminology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts.
Why we like them: RU is known for its FastForward program. FastForward is a dual degree program allowing you to earn your bachelor's and master's degrees together, saving time and money. You can also pursue accelerated bachelor’s degree programs. These programs have accelerated courses that are five to eight weeks long, have six annual start dates, and accept up to 87 transfer credits.
#3 Colorado State University Global
- Salary Score: A
- Median Earnings: $74,437
- Online Enrollment: 9,565 enrolled
- Location: Greenwood Village
Colorado State University Global (CSU Global) delivers online curricula that help you advance toward your career goals. The school offers flexible and affordable online bachelor’s degree programs you can pursue. Some of CSU Global’s online bachelor’s degree programs include computer science, human resource management, marketing, project management, organizational leadership, information technology, and more.
Why we like them: Attend CSU Global if you’re seeking affordable online education. The university’s low tuition rates haven’t increased in more than 10 years, and there are no hidden costs or fees. In addition, graduating with a degree from CSU Global may increase your salary earnings. According to the university, its graduates see nearly $5 in salary and benefits for every dollar spent on their degree.
#4 University of Denver
- Salary Score: A-
- Median Earnings: $69,692
- Online Enrollment: 3,134 enrolled
- Location: Denver
The University of Denver (UD) offers several online master's degrees, a bachelor's completion program, and 100 non-degree-granting certificates to help build job-readiness skills. Popular online majors are in education, health, the environment, and law. These programs strive to advance your knowledge and skills and build a foundation for your next career.
Why we like them: If you’re a returning college student, UD offers online bachelor’s degree completion programs. These programs have specially designed courses that help you finish your degree. You can transfer up to three years of previous college credit toward your bachelor’s degree at UD to help you graduate faster. Majors available for this degree completion program include communications arts, global studies, health administration, and others.
#5 University of Colorado Boulder
- Salary Score: A-
- Median Earnings: $66,846
- Online Enrollment: 3,156 enrolled
- Location: Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) offers online bachelor’s and master's degrees in areas such as corporate communication, teacher leadership, electrical engineering, and data science. In addition to degrees, you can enroll in online graduate certificate programs, professional education courses, and a cybersecurity boot camp. The university’s online programs are term-based and self-paced to fit your scheduling needs.
Why we like them: CU Boulder is known for supporting you both academically and personally. Therefore, it offers virtual counseling and psychiatric services if you feel stressed and anxious. It also provides LGBTQ+ services, including counseling and workshops. We appreciate that CU Boulder provides mental health services to support online students.
#6 Colorado State University - Fort Collins
- Salary Score: B+
- Median Earnings: $60,103
- Online Enrollment: 3,726 enrolled
- Location: Fort Collins
At Colorado State University - Fort Collins (CSU), you can pursue several online degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. An online bachelor’s degree helps you obtain the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve your career goals. CSU’s distance learning programs have several specializations, like business and communications, government studies, and natural resources management and tourism.
Why we like them: CSU offers a plethora of online continuing education programs. These online programs may be more suitable if you’re seeking to advance skills and knowledge in a certain field. A few examples of these programs include Land Stewardship, Project Management, and Veterinary Assistant. We believe these programs will give you the training and knowledge to grow professionally in your chosen field.
#7 Colorado Christian University
- Salary Score: B
- Median Earnings: $55,928
- Online Enrollment: 5,248 enrolled
- Location: Lakewood
Colorado Christian University (CCU Online) is a private, nonprofit, and Christian institution offering a range of online bachelor’s degree programs you can enroll in. CCU Online allows you to complete coursework on your own time, as curricula are designed for busy or working adults. Aside from bachelor’s degree programs, CCU Online has online associate, master’s, and doctoral programs, as well as certifications.
Why we like them: As a Christian university, you can expect to be taught from a Christian worldview. That said, you’ll be required to complete nine credit hours in Biblical Studies as part of your degree requirements. In addition, many CCU Online courses are delivered in five-week blocks. With shorter class terms, you may be able to graduate much earlier than typical.
#8 University of Colorado Colorado Springs
- Salary Score: B
- Median Earnings: $54,079
- Online Enrollment: 1,832 enrolled
- Location: Colorado Springs
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) has a limited selection of online degrees, including three online bachelor's, two online master's, and one online doctoral degree. Notable majors include philosophy and sociology. Every online program is designed to help you achieve your personal and professional goals.
Why we like them: UCCS is a pioneer in online learning, with its first online course having been offered in 1996. The school continues to provide high-quality and engaging online degrees and certification programs. In addition, you’ll receive access to critical online resources like academic advising, enrollment navigators, tutoring, mental health and wellbeing support, an online writing center, and more.
#9 Metropolitan State University of Denver
- Salary Score: B
- Median Earnings: $51,750
- Online Enrollment: 4,246 enrolled
- Location: Denver
At Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver), you can pursue online bachelor’s and master’s degrees, badges, minors, and certificate programs. Some of the online bachelor's degrees offered at MSU Denver are anthropology, banking, marketing, human development and family studies, social work, and political science. Please be aware that some programs may require in-person activities.
Why we like them: MSU Denver has three scholarships for online students. These include the Returning Roadrunner, New Online Students, and Continuing Roadrunner Scholarships you can apply for. If you attend MSU Denver, you’ll work with a dedicated Student Success Coach. A Student Success Coach provides personalized support throughout your academic journey to help you identify barriers to success and how to overcome them.
#10 Adams State University
- Salary Score: B-
- Median Earnings: $49,656
- Online Enrollment: 901 enrolled
- Location: Alamosa
Adams State University (ASU) offers a select curriculum of online degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels you can enroll in. Popular online programs include bachelor's degrees in business administration and teacher education and master's degrees in higher education, kinesiology, and public administration. In addition to degrees, you can pursue non-degree online courses and GT courses and certificate programs.
Why we like them: If you’re an educator, ASU provides a host of online programs for your professional development. The university offers K-12 educator professional development and educational partner courses. In addition, if you apply for an online certification program, you may be eligible for scholarships. Financial assistance is available for real estate, healthcare, software, IT, and web development, and business, management, and accounting certificate programs. You’ll have to meet certain requirements to qualify for scholarships.
#11 Colorado Mesa University
- Salary Score: B-
- Median Earnings: $49,628
- Online Enrollment: 666 enrolled
- Location: Grand Junction
Colorado Mesa University (CMU) has a limited selection of online degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Online undergraduate majors include nursing (RN to BSN) and sport management. CMU offers a rigorous program to ensure that its online offerings are delivered with the same quality as its traditional, on-campus programs.
Why we like them: If you’re a new online learner, you may be unaware of what an online degree program entails. To help you learn how to navigate distance education, CMU offers an online learning readiness assessment. The online learning readiness assessment is a quiz that identifies your strengths and weaknesses to help determine if you’ll succeed as an online learner. We appreciate that CMU provides resources to prepare prospective students for online education.
#12 University of Northern Colorado
- Salary Score: B-
- Median Earnings: $48,584
- Online Enrollment: 1,594 enrolled
- Location: Greeley
The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) offers online degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Popular majors include communication and media, English, and sociology. In addition, there are also online internships, graduate certificates, endorsements, and licensures you can take. Some of these online programs may require in-person activities.
Why we like them: If you want to publish your research, you may be able to do so at UNC, even as an undergraduate. The university is known for publishing the Undergraduate Research Journal (URJ) as a 100% open-access journal. This journal allows undergraduate students to conduct unique research and publish their findings. We believe that this is a unique and rare opportunity to share your work, prepare for graduate school, and build up your curriculum vitae or resume.
#13 Aspen University
- Salary Score: N/A
- Median Earnings:
- Online Enrollment: 6,290 enrolled
- Location: Denver
Aspen University (AU) offers dozens of online degrees at the associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels you can pursue. Popular majors at these different levels include nursing, psychology and addiction studies, business administration, education, and information systems. Courses start every two weeks, so you have some flexibility when you begin your program.
Why we like them: There are a few ways to fund your online education at AU. Scholarships are limited, but a Black Education Matters Scholarship for students accepted into the BSN program is available to help cover the cost of tuition. AU is known for making college affordable, with monthly payment plans starting at $250 to help students avoid costly student debt. We like that AU provides opportunities to help you save money on tuition.
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Higher Education in Colorado
Home to approximately 5.8 million residents, Colorado is perhaps best known for its majestic mountains and scenic beauty. However, the Centennial State is also a major contributor to the U.S. economy. Its top industries include manufacturing, bioscience, electronics, natural resources, technology, and financial services. Organizations in both the public and private sectors create numerous employment opportunities for college graduates.
Those who'd like to attend college in Colorado have a wide array of educational options. College campuses are located across the state, and most of them offer online degrees. Prospective students may be interested in the following possibilities:
Colorado boasts a number of well-respected public universities, including the University of Colorado with campuses in Boulder, Denver, and Colorado Springs; Colorado State University with campuses in Fort Collins and Pueblo; the fully online Colorado State University Global; Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction; and Fort Lewis College in Durango.
The Colorado Community College System is made up of 13 community and technical colleges spread across more than 30 campuses and learning centers. Locations include Denver, Loveland, Steamboat Springs, Aspen, Glenwood Springs, and many more.
Private universities of all sizes abound in Colorado. Examples of larger schools include Colorado Technical University in Aurora and Colorado Springs, the University of Denver, and Regis University in Denver. Colorado Christian University in Lakewood, Nazarene Bible College in Colorado Springs, and the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design in Denver are among the smaller colleges.
You can find more online programs in other states by reviewing our list of online colleges by state.
Online Colleges in Colorado
Distance education has become more and more popular over the last 20 years, which is why many colleges in the Centennial State now offer a wealth of online courses and online degree programs at all levels.
The undergraduate admissions process is fairly similar across all colleges and universities, whether you're applying for online programs or on-campus programs. Along with your application, you may be asked to submit official high school transcripts, college entrance exam scores, a personal essay, letters of recommendation, and a list of extracurricular activities. Admission into one of the more competitive colleges with low acceptance rates may require a high school GPA of 2.8 or higher as well as participation in extracurricular activities, such as sports, clubs, and volunteerism.
Like their traditional counterparts, online bachelor's degree programs usually require the completion of 120-126 credit hours. Full-time students often need four to five years to finish an undergraduate program, while part-time students may need as many as six years. The number of credit hours needed to complete an online master's degree vary widely, so students may need one to three years of full-time study or three to four years of part-time study to complete a master's program.
In addition to cost and available programs, an important consideration when choosing an online college is accreditation. Enrollment in an accredited online Colorado college may be required for several key college and career milestones: to qualify for financial aid, transfer credits from one school to another, be accepted into a graduate program, or receive a state-issued license or credential to practice a specific profession. All of the Colorado online colleges that appear on our rankings list are accredited by approved agencies, such as the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) or the Distance Education Accreditation Commission (DEAC).
Online course format is another essential factor in selecting an online program. Many online courses are asynchronous, allowing students to log in at their convenience and complete assignments according to the deadlines. However, some online courses may be synchronous, requiring students to log in on specific days and times. Although synchronous courses are a little less flexible, students can listen to live lectures, interact with instructors, and participate in virtual learning activities with peers.
Want to find specific online programs available in Colorado? Explore our lists of online nursing programs in Colorado, online MSW programs in Colorado, and online MBA programs in Colorado.
FAQs About Online Colleges in Colorado
Is Colorado Community College Online?
Yes, you can attend Colorado's community colleges online. All 13 community and technical colleges in the state offer online courses and fully online degree programs through their online system. Using the D2L distance learning platform, you can take general courses, such as computer literacy and basic study skills, as well as general education and major-specific courses in psychology, criminal justice, business, physical sciences, foreign languages, and many more subjects.
How Many Colleges Are in Colorado?
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) College Navigator reports that there are 94 postsecondary educational institutions in Colorado. About one-third of these are operated by the state and the other two-thirds are privately run.
How Much Is College in Colorado?
According to current data provided by the NCES, college tuition and fees for two-year and four-year schools in Colorado are generally on par with national averages. If you're concerned about the total cost of your college degree, you might consider some of the following cost-saving options:
- Enroll in a Colorado online degree program. Some colleges charge lower tuition rates for their online programs than for their in-person programs.
- Complete some of your preliminary coursework by attending one of Colorado's community colleges. At these less expensive schools, you can earn an associate degree or simply take general education courses and then transfer those credit hours to a four-year university, where you can earn a bachelor's degree.
- Apply for government funding for college students by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Through this one form, you'll apply for federal aid as well as state-funded programs, such as Colorado's Back to Work, Finish What You Started, and Path4Ward programs. Depending on your field of study, you may also qualify for other state financial aid programs for students pursuing degrees in behavioral health, early childhood education, and more.
- Explore Colorado's reciprocity agreements with colleges in New Mexico, Nebraska, and other western states. You may be able to attend a lower-priced school — through an on-campus or online degree program — while retaining your residency in Colorado.
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