Community colleges are usually two-year programs that prepare students for a bachelors degree. They usually offer core classes that are easily transferable, but also provide specialized technical classes that lead to certification in a specific skill.
Pikes Peak Community College is located in Colorado Springs, Colo. The college offers over 120 programs with 60 core credit hours that are guaranteed to transfer to the other schools in the Colorado system of higher education. Pikes Peak Community College is a 2-year institution and is considered affordable. ppcc.edu
Front Range Community College offers 100-plus degrees and certificate programs including criminal justice studies, theater and applied sciences. Students who attend Front Range Community College are guaranteed transfer credits from core classes. Tuition is considered low. frontrange.edu
Arapahoe Community College in Littleton offers 300 online classes and 100 degrees and certificates. It offers financial support through the College Opportunity Fund, scholarships, grants, loans and work-study programs. Tuition is affordable. araphoe.edu
Colorado State University is a public institution founded in 1870 and currently has 22,000 students enrolled. The average high school GPA is 3.58 and in-state tuition nears $5,000 with 66 percent of students receiving need-based financial assistance. colostate.edu
The University of Colorado in Colorado Springs was founded in 1965. To date, 6,200 students are enrolled whose average high school GPA is 3.36. Tuition is around $5,500 in state and $22,000 for out-of-state enrollment. The university offers education from the certificate through doctoral levels. colorado.edu
University of Northern Colorado is located in Greeley. Tuition for the nearly 10,000 students who attend ranges from $4,000 for in-state and nearly $13,500 for out of state. The average high school GPA is a 3.1. UNC was founded in 1890 and offers bachelors, masters and post-masters degrees. unco.edu
The United States Air Force Academy was established in 1954 and has around 4,600 students attending. The USAFA prepares students for a military career through rigorous discipline and challenging academics. usafa.af.mil
Colorado Christian University has around 2,000 students who averaged a high school GPA of 3.4 and pay $18,850 for tuition. Located in Lakewood, CCU is a nondenominational, liberal arts school and offers bachelors and masters degrees.
ccu.edu
Colorado School of Mines offers degrees in social sciences, engineering, mathematics, geosciences and humanities. Established in 1874, the School of Mines has over 3,500 students enrolled and is ranked among the top schools in the nation academically. mines.edu
Colorado College was founded in 1874 and is a small, private, liberal arts college with enrollment just around 2,000 students, 74 percent of which are from out of state. The school boasts a small faculty-to-student ratio of 10:1, and has one of the top study abroad programs in the nation. coloradocollege.edu
The Art Institute of Colorado offers degrees in design, fashion and media arts with tuition at $14,000 annually. The college, established in 1952, is home to 2,226 students. artinstitutes.edu/denver