Public · University
Adams State University
Alamosa, Colorado · Remote town
- —
- Admit rate
- $12,980
- Avg net price
- 39%
- Graduation rate
- $44,372
- Median earnings
Adams State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Alamosa, Colorado (remote town setting), enrolling 1,250 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
About Alamosa, Colorado
Alamosa is the home rule city that is the county seat of, and the most populous municipality in, Alamosa County, Colorado United States. The Alamosa, Colorado, post office opened on March 12, 1878, and the Town of Alamosa was incorporated on August 12, 1878. The town was established by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad and quickly became an important rail center. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Remote town
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 110 miles to Colorado Springs, CO
- To the ocean
- 597 miles
- Nearest airport
- 3 miles to San Luis Valley Regional Airport/Bergman Field (ALS)
How Adams State University compares
Higher than 22% · #14 of 19 in Colorado
Higher than 7%
Higher than 22% · #17 of 22 in Colorado
Cheaper than 81% · #3 cheapest of 20 in Colorado
Lower than 78%
Lower than 42%
Larger than 44%
Percentiles compare Adams State University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Colorado.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate1,25049%
- Graduate1,29651%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women61149%
- Men63951%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White41%
- Black9.1%
- Hispanic33%
- Asian1.2%
- Other or multiracial15%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,250
- Graduate enrollment
- 1,296
- Student–faculty ratio
- 14 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 38%
- First-generation students
- 42%
- Students over 25
- 15%
- Median family income
- $31,933
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $64,107
- Endowment
- $57,169
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 320 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Colorado63%
- Other U.S. states37%
A regional draw: about 63% of first-years come from Colorado, the rest from elsewhere.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $9,824
- Out-of-state tuition
- $21,944
- Room & board
- $9,820
- Books & supplies
- $2,920
- Total cost of attendance
- $24,352
- Average net price
- $12,980
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 39%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 20%
- First-year retention
- 51%
- Transferred to another college
- 37%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $38,338
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $44,372
- Median debt at graduation
- $19,500
- Students with federal loans
- 33%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 39%
About 20% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 950
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 76%
- Housing charge (year)
- $4,113
- Meal plan (year)
- $5,440
- Application fee
- $30
- Athletics
- NCAA Division II with football
- Football conference
- Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 676 (460 men · 216 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (11)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- C
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 3.7 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 24
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 8
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,901 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$11,921/year × about 4.8 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 76% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $4,805. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 294 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $44,372
- Typical debt at graduation
- $19,500
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 44%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 46%
Typical debt would take roughly 4.4 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $7,921 (19%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 83°F
- Winter low
- 0°F
- Annual rain
- 7.3″
- Annual snow
- 30″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Alamosa 1E, CO US station (1.3 mi from campus).
What Adams State University graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Adams State University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Adams State University side by side →
Chicago State University
Chicago, Illinois · Large city · 11 mi to Chicago
- Students
- 1,384
- Admission
- 43%
- Net price
- $12k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $43k
Mississippi University for Women
Columbus, Mississippi · Remote town · 93 mi to Birmingham
- Students
- 1,605
- Admission
- 90%
- Net price
- $12k
- SAT
- 1090
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $46k
Sul Ross State University
Alpine, Texas · Remote town · 146 mi to Midland
- Students
- 1,396
- Admission
- 99%
- Net price
- $13k
- SAT
- 1024
- GPA
- 2.9
- Earnings
- $42k
Chadron State College
Chadron, Nebraska · Remote town · 88 mi to Rapid City
- Students
- 1,540
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- $13k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $47k
New Mexico Highlands University
Las Vegas, New Mexico · Remote town · 88 mi to Albuquerque
- Students
- 1,451
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $46k
Delta State University
Cleveland, Mississippi · Remote town · 105 mi to Memphis
- Students
- 1,620
- Admission
- 100%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- 1050
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $42k
Colleges near Adams State University
Trinidad State College
Trinidad, CO · Public · Certificate · 1,188 students
University of New Mexico-Taos Campus
Ranchos de Taos, NM · Public · Certificate · 377 students
Pueblo Community College
Pueblo, CO · Public · Certificate · 3,619 students
Colorado State University Pueblo
Pueblo, CO · Public · Bachelor's · 3,042 students
Western Colorado University
Gunnison, CO · Public · Bachelor's · 1,586 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.










