Adams State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Alamosa, Colorado. It enrolls 1,250 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Open / Online). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
63/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes43
Value53
Affordability48
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Admissions data is not yet reported for Adams State University.
Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Adams State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Adams State University isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $12,980 per year. That's below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$12,980
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
38%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
33%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$9,824
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$21,944
Room & Board (on-campus)
$9,820
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,785
Books & Supplies
$2,920
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,790
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,294
Total Cost of Attendance
$24,352
Application fee: $30 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$9,947
$30,001 – $48,000
$10,392
$48,001 – $75,000
$11,921
$75,001 – $110,000
$15,787
Over $110,000
$20,274
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$2,75010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$19,500Medianpercentile
$23,50075%percentile
$33,74790%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $12,640
↓ $6,860
No Pell $9,000
↓ $10,500
Dependent students $11,000
↓ $8,500
Independent students $14,181
↓ $5,319
Female students $12,000
↓ $7,500
Male students $11,746
↓ $7,754
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,500, less than completers ($19,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
28% of full-time students who enrolled at Adams State University graduate within six years, and 53% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
28%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
53%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Adams State University earn a median of $44,372 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$44,372
Earning > $25K
73%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$32,200
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$45,000
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$32,600
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$41,000
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$43,500
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $12,800, about 28% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
20.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 79% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Adams State University is home to 1,250 students, a small, close-knit community. Some distinctive traits: 42% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
1,250
Part-Time
27%
First-Generation
42%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 41.0%513
Hispanic 33.4%418
Black 9.1%114
Other 7.6%95
Asian 1.2%15
International 0.6%7
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Adams State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Town: RemoteAlamosa, Colorado
Housing
Strongly residential950 beds for 1,250 students
Adult Learners
15%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
What You Can Study
Adams State University offers
a varied set of programs:
32 distinct programs across
15 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Adams State University is 14:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
14:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$19,898
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$62,673
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$63,675
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
109 instructional faculty across 6 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
27
25%
$85,500
Associate Professors
13
12%
$67,662
Assistant Professors
48
44%
$58,186
Instructors
3
3%
$44,744
Lecturers
3
3%
$47,400
No Rank
15
14%
$45,543
Pros & Cons of Adams State University
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Adams State University tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Below-average net price
Reasonable class sizes
Tight-knit, close community feel
First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Best for:
Based on the data, Adams State University is a fit for
students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Adams State University
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Adams State University.
How much does Adams State University cost?
The average net price after aid at Adams State University is $12,980 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Adams State University worth it?
Solid return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $44,372 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $12,980 per year. That's roughly 3.4x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Adams State University known for?
Adams State University is best known for its programs in Counseling Psychology, Liberal Arts, Business. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Adams State University graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Adams State University are $44,372, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Adams State University accredited?
Yes. Adams State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Adams State University?
Adams State University enrolls 1,250 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Adams State University?
Adams State University graduates 28% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Adams State University a public or private college?
Adams State University is a Public institution.
Where is Adams State University located?
Adams State University is located in Alamosa, Colorado.
What programs does Adams State University offer?
Adams State University offers 32 distinct programs. The most popular include Counseling Psychology, Liberal Arts, Business.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Adams State University?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Adams State University is 14:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Colorado
Other colleges in Colorado share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Business Administration
Biology
Business Administration
Related Guides
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.