Education at Colorado College

Colorado College's selective liberal arts environment—with its 1445 average SAT and 20% admission rate—comes with private school pricing that produces an estimated $27,000 in debt for education majors. That's a manageable load by private college standards, but it matters whether this investment delivers on earnings. Based on peer bachelor's programs in education nationally, first-year earnings around $38,660 suggest graduates enter teaching at typical starting salaries, which lag behind what other education programs in Colorado report—the University of Colorado Denver's graduates, for instance, earn $42,320 in their first year.

The 0.70 debt-to-earnings ratio looks reasonable on paper, but here's the practical reality: teacher salaries climb slowly, and $27,000 in loans still means monthly payments that will stretch a starting educator's budget in Colorado Springs. The block plan and close faculty mentoring at Colorado College may prepare students exceptionally well for the classroom, but similar programs nationwide produce similar earnings outcomes. If your child is set on teaching and values Colorado College's distinctive academic model, this path won't saddle them with crushing debt. However, if the teaching credential is the primary goal, in-state public options could deliver comparable preparation at significantly lower cost, preserving more financial flexibility in those lean early-career years.