I am not going to tell you whether this university is “good” or “bad.” No federal report says that, and anyone who tells you so that simply is selling you something. What I can do is show you what the official data allow you to see, with all their limitations, so you can include it in a larger plan: the one you make with your child, about what they want to study, and with your family, about what you can and are willing to pay.
What kind of university it is and where it is
Western Colorado University is a public four-year university. The federal system that classifies United States universities, known as Carnegie, records it as a master’s university with medium programs, and describes it as a small, highly residential four-year school. That last point matters: at the time of that classification, at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in institution-owned, controlled, or affiliated housing, and at least 8 out of every 10 studied full time. Carnegie also places it in its selective-admissions group.
What does “highly residential” mean for your budget? It means you probably will not be able to treat this as a university your child commutes to every day. And here is something many families overlook: the cost of living on campus almost never comes bundled with tuition in the first number you see. Request it separately, including the meal plan, before comparing this school with any other on your list.
The institution is in Gunnison, within Gunnison County, Colorado. The setting around campus is a remote town, not a large urban area. If your family does not live nearby, this has a direct consequence: calculate separately where your child would live and how they would get to campus. The data only identify the school’s location; they do not tell you how long your own trip takes or solve your family’s logistics.
As for academic level, IPEDS—the federal higher-education data system—records a master’s degree as the highest level the institution reports offering, and classifies it as an institution that awards degrees, primarily bachelor’s degrees or higher. That is an institutional fact, not a guarantee that the specific major your child is interested in exists with that complete pathway. If your child dreams of combining undergraduate and graduate study in the same field, verify the exact path for that major before assuming anything.
Something worth making clear from the start, because it prevents confusion later: because it is public, this university charges different amounts depending on where you are from. Always ask what it charges an in-state resident and what it charges someone from out of state, and which of those two figures is being quoted to you.
Finally, one contextual fact that families sometimes look for specifically: Western Colorado University is not listed as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. These are three distinct designations, with distinct histories, and of the 3,012 universities in this federal directory, 138 have at least one of them. The fact that this school has none of them does not say which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask that directly: which cultural centers and student organizations exist today, and, better still, speak with someone who already studies there.
How many students there are and who they are
Western Colorado University had 4,053 students enrolled in the most recent official fall count. It is a medium-sized school, in the range between 1,000 and 4,999 students. Compared with 519 selective public four-year schools in this same federal census, it is on the smaller side: at least 7 out of every 10 of those schools have more students than it does.
Of that total, 3,569 are undergraduate students and 484 are graduate students. This is primarily a bachelor’s-degree institution.
Here is a nuance worth understanding clearly: enrollment does not tell you how many people are in a classroom at the same time. IPEDS also reports a full-time-equivalent enrollment of 2,723 students, a way of adding full-time students to an estimated fraction of those attending part time. With so many part-time students in the mix, ask directly when courses in the major your child is interested in are offered, instead of assuming a traditional university schedule.
As for who they are: among undergraduates, 23 out of every 100 students reported being Hispanic or Latino. It is not a majority, but it is not unusual either. Compared with the 519 selective public schools in this census, it is in the top quarter: three out of four of those schools reported an equal or smaller proportion. That comparison does have a real limitation: the peers are assembled by type of school, not by state, and it does not account for which part of the country Gunnison is in. It also does not go down to the specific-major level; it is for the entire school.
Adult students, ages 25 through 64, are a minority here: 7 out of every 100. And among men and women, undergraduate enrollment is nearly even, with women representing half. As for where incoming students came from—how far from home most travel—IPEDS does not provide that data for this school in the most recent cycle. It simply was not reported.
How it works academically
The academic year at Western Colorado University is organized by semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. In its most recent report, the institution stated that it accepts AP exam credit, but did not check the box for credit for life experience. It also stated that it enrolls high school students in college-credit courses, both inside and outside a formal dual-enrollment program, and reported accepting credit for military training.
Here is a practical truth that will save you headaches: saying they accept AP does not mean they give credit for every exam with every score. This data do not tell us how many points they require or whether those credits count toward the specific major your child wants to study. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for time or money savings until you have it in hand.
As for what people study there: in a recent year, the university awarded 358 bachelor’s degrees, distributed across 16 different major families. The family that awarded the most degrees was business and administration, with 22 out of every 100 degrees that year—no other area surpassed it, but it did not account for a majority either. Compared with 514 similar schools in this census, Western Colorado is in the quarter with the fewest major families present in its bachelor’s-degree detail. This counts degrees awarded in one year, not people or the complete catalog of majors. It does not measure quality or jobs obtained afterward. Before deciding, ask directly about the exact major your child is interested in: how many graduated in it, how long it took, and what the complete curriculum is like.
Regarding group size: the university reports a ratio of 18 full-time-equivalent students for every full-time-equivalent instructional staff member. Compared with 519 similar schools, it is in the top quarter—that is, with more students for each instructor than most of its peers. On the general scale for this type of data, the ratio is considered average; but relative to similar schools, it is at the high end. Both things are true at the same time, and neither tells you the actual size of a first-year classroom. That specific data are not available.
The institution also reports structured academic opportunities: study abroad, preparation for teacher certification below the postsecondary level, and state approval of the program for initial teacher certification.
What getting in is like: admissions, tests, and transfers
This is where many families feel the most anxiety, and where the data help reduce it the most.
Western Colorado University does not have open admission; it reviews parts of an application before deciding. But of the nine admissions considerations this federal report tracks, only one is marked as required: an English-proficiency examination, for applicants to whom it applies. Everything else—high school record, grade-point average, class rank, completed course plan, personal essay, recommendation letters, portfolio or competency examination, work experience, and whether a family member attended—are not required, but are considered if submitted. The published application fee is $30.
There is one factor your child cannot change: the university reported that it considers whether a family member attended. If that is not the case for your family, do not spend energy on it. Spend it on what is within your control.
And speaking of what is within your control, here is the number that truly matters: in the most recent report, the university received 3,283 first-time applications and offered admission to 3,200. That is 97 out of every 100 applicants accepted. Compared with the 519 selective public schools in this census, Western Colorado is among those that accept the most: at least 9 out of every 10 of those schools accepted an equal or smaller percentage.
Simply put: they almost always say yes here. Your child’s effort goes further by meeting deadlines and completing the application than by worrying about competing for a spot. But—and this is a hard truth that must be said plainly—being easy to get into does not mean it is inexpensive, or that most students finish. Before deciding, you need to look at net price and graduation rate. Those two calculations matter more than the admission calculation, and we will look at them shortly.
Now, a curious and useful fact: out of every 100 admitted students, only 13 ultimately enrolled. In other words, out of every 8 young people who receive a yes, roughly one ends up attending. Compared with similar schools, this proportion is also on the low side. Do not read it as a blemish on the school—the federal record does not say why each person chose what they chose, and there may be a thousand reasons unrelated to institutional quality. What it does tell you is something useful: what other people decided does not tell you what they will offer your child. Wait for their admission letter with the net price—what the year will truly cost you—and decide with that number in hand.
Regarding standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required here. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid all the same. Among those who enrolled and did submit SAT scores (29 out of every 100), the middle half scored between 500 and 630 in reading and writing, and between 500 and 610 in mathematics. Note: those ranges are for students who had already enrolled, not for all applicants, and do not prove that scores were used to admit anyone. That 500 is not a minimum, and that 630 is not a guarantee of anything.
Regarding transfers: in the most recent count, 122 undergraduate students arrived at Western Colorado after previously studying at another institution. How many credits were recognized is a separate question to ask the school directly. The rate of students who leave here for another institution is not reported in this file—that does not show that nobody transfers; the data simply are not included.
The price: what it costs and what is actually paid
At Western Colorado University, among 28 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or district tuition rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $10,573. Among 34 students in the same population with family EFC income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $15,090; among 57 students with family EFC income above $110,000, it was $21,621. For dependent students, the range adds their parents’ income and their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (28 students) and that for the highest band (57 students) is $11,048. Among first-year students who received any grant, the average was $17,709.
$10,573 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting an aid letter.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or district tuition rate. The overall average with grants, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
Financial aid and loans: what is common and what to verify
At Western Colorado University, 9 out of every 10 degree-seeking students received some scholarship or aid that does not have to be repaid. Receiving something is common here. Compared with 519 similar schools, it falls in the quarter where scholarships reach more students, with an average of $9,237 among those who received one.
The federal Pell Grant—aid for low-income families—went to 25 out of every 100 students. In other words: aid in general reaches a majority, but aid specifically based on low family income reaches a smaller share. The difference may include state, local, institutional, or other aid sources that this breakdown does not allow us to attribute precisely.
Be careful about reading a high figure as a personal promise. It is what happened to other students in one specific year. It is not your probability or your amount. Request in writing which applications must be completed, what the deadlines are, and what happens to the aid if your child’s grades decline.
Regarding loans: only 23 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in the reported year. Most were not awarded one. Among those who did receive one, the average was $8,164—compared with similar schools, this is on the low side. A student receiving a loan does not mean it was enough to cover the full year; it only means that they were lent money. And this average is for one year only, only for federal loans in the student’s name: it does not include Parent PLUS loans sometimes signed by parents, bank or credit-card debt, or accumulated debt at graduation.
The institution also reports a tuition installment-payment plan and participation in a Promise-type program. It is worth asking directly what it covers and who qualifies.
Campus life, support, and other useful information
Western Colorado does have institution-controlled housing, with reported capacity for 1,263 students. It does not require all first-time students to live there, although that does not rule out a specific program requiring it. It also offers meal plans, with the number of meals varying by the chosen plan. Having the option does not guarantee a space: request in writing the yearly rate, the housing application deadline, and whether a space is guaranteed or you will be placed on a waiting list.
Regarding ROTC: the university did not mark any ROTC opportunity in its most recent report, neither the general box nor any specific branch. This does not prove that no nearby pathway exists—it only means it was not reported in this field. If your family is interested in that scholarship, ask directly before ruling it out.
In sports, the university does compete at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, not with other associations. It reports membership for football, basketball, and cross-country or track and field. This is institutional membership, not a promise to your child: if they are interested in competing, write directly to the coach for that sport, ask whether there is room, which division they compete in, and whether that sport offers an athletic scholarship.
Regarding distance education: it is offered, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Out of every 100 undergraduate students, 24 took their entire course load at a distance, and 76 took at least one in-person class. The university also reported having at least one complete program that can be finished entirely at a distance, although the data do not specify whether that applies to undergraduate or graduate study—confirm the exact major.
The library operates with paid staff and annual spending above the federal threshold of $100,000. It has physical and digital materials, and offers interlibrary loan.
Finally, the institution reports these services: combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services upon program completion, on-campus child care, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program for veterans, and a disability-services webpage published in the federal system. The fact that these services are reported does not say how they work in practice or how effective they are—that is something to ask directly when visiting or calling.
If your child enrolls: how many stay and how many graduate
This is probably the most important section in the entire article, because this is where “yes, almost everyone gets in” meets the real question: then what?
Of the cohort of first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students, 436 started in a recent fall. One year later, 318 were still enrolled or had already graduated: 73 out of every 100. Compared with 519 similar schools, it is somewhat below the middle of the group.
This figure does not separate those still studying there from those who have already graduated, nor does it tell you what happened to the rest. And importantly, not returning to this specific school is not the same as dropping out. Someone who transferred to another university and is still studying there counts the same, in this data, as someone who stopped studying altogether.
Now, graduation itself. Of 446 students who entered a bachelor’s program in 2017 as first-time, full-time students, 226 had a degree from this school six years later: 51 out of every 100. At four years—the time frame most families budget for—the figure falls to 32 out of every 100, nineteen points lower. Compared with 518 similar schools, it is below the middle of the group.
Put plainly: after six years, it is almost half and half between those who graduate from here and those who do not. The report counts outcomes, not the reasons behind each individual story. What I can tell you with certainty is this: those nineteen points between year four and year six represent time, and time in college costs money. Before signing anything, request in writing how long the exact major your child is interested in typically takes to complete, how its required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if the program takes more than four years.
There is an even longer, eight-year measure that combines first-time students with those who already had prior college experience, full- and part-time students. Of a cohort of 693 people who entered in a recent cycle, 49 out of every 100 had a degree or certificate from this school as of August 2023. Among those who specifically received a Pell Grant, the figure was 43 out of every 100—seven points below the group without Pell. Compared with 519 similar schools, it is also below the middle of the group.
This eight-year measure is a snapshot at one point in time, not a bill or a continuous measurement of eight years of study. It does not tell you how much each person paid or how much income they gave up while studying. What it can tell you, again, is that extra time in college has a real cost, and that it is worth asking about before, not after.
What this article cannot tell you
There is no figure in the official data on what a Western Colorado University graduate earns after leaving, employment, or debt at graduation. That kind of information requires other sources, and is not authorized here. If that matters to you—and it reasonably may matter a great deal—you will need to look for it separately, using another tool.
How to put all of this together
You now know in considerable depth one of the three pieces you need to decide: what Western Colorado University truly is and offers, according to its own reports to the federal government. You know it is a medium-sized, highly residential public school in a remote Colorado town. You know that almost everyone who applies gets in, but few admitted students ultimately enroll. You know the listed price may sound high, especially out of state, but that the net price paid by lower-income families is usually substantially lower. And you know that, out of every two students who enter seeking a bachelor’s degree, roughly one graduates from here within six years.
You still need to combine that piece with the other two: what your child wants to study and what they have built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. Neither of those two pieces lives in a government report. They live in your home, in the conversations you have, and in the numbers in your own family budget.
Your child has their part: exploring, asking questions, writing their essay, deciding what they want to study. You have yours: understanding the money, requesting the financial-aid letter, verifying what this article cannot verify for you, and supporting the decision without carrying it alone. You do not make the journey for them. You make it with them.
Source note: The information in this article comes from data reported by Western Colorado University to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) of the United States Department of Education, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Western Colorado University or the United States government; this article organizes and explains public information already reported by the institution.