Public · Community college
Colorado Northwestern Community College
Rangely, Colorado · Remote rural
- 32%
- Transfer rate
- $12,131
- Avg net price
- 34%
- Grad / completion
- $43,526
- Median earnings
Colorado Northwestern Community College is a public certificate-granting institution in Rangely, Colorado (remote rural setting), enrolling 504 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Rangely, Colorado
Rangely is a statutory town in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, United States. The land is what makes the town of Rangely interesting. The land is the base from which all human events unfold, whether it is the geology that brought the miners and oil men, or the water that brought the Fremonts, the Utes, the explorers, the ranchers. For decades, Rangely has been the location of an unused water tank, prized for its remarkable internal resonance, in which sounds may sustain for up to 40 seconds. Now known as The Tank Center for Sonic Arts, the 65-foot tower has been repurposed as a concert and recording venue. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Remote rural
- Highest degree offered
- Bachelor's
- Nearest big city
- 170 miles to Salt Lake City, UT
- To the ocean
- 650 miles
- Nearest airport
- 45 miles to Vernal (VEL)
How Colorado Northwestern Community College compares
Higher than 18% · #41 of 49 in Colorado
Higher than 80% · #12 of 44 in Colorado
Cheaper than 62% · #17 cheapest of 49 in Colorado
Lower than 29%
Lower than 86%
Larger than 62%
Percentiles compare Colorado Northwestern Community College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Colorado.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women32464%
- Men18036%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White65%
- Black1.8%
- Hispanic22%
- Other or multiracial10%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 504
- Student–faculty ratio
- 9 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 14%
- First-generation students
- 46%
- Students over 25
- 16%
- Median family income
- $35,548
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $62,145
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 133 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Colorado65%
- Other U.S. states35%
- International0.8%
A regional draw: about 65% of first-years come from Colorado, the rest from elsewhere.
1% came from outside the U.S. 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
- $4,594
- Out-of-state tuition
- $7,304
- Room & board
- $9,500
- Books & supplies
- $1,460
- Total cost of attendance
- $20,923
- Average net price
- $12,131
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
- 34%
- First-year retention
- —
- Transferred to another college
- 32%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $39,760
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $43,526
- Median debt at graduation
- $12,000
- Students with federal loans
- 14%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 48%
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
- 311
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 62%
- Housing charge (year)
- $3,274
- Meal plan (year)
- $5,756
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division I
- Varsity athletes
- 133 (79 men · 54 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 (6)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.3 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (1,271 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.
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: 72% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $5,285. 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 131 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)
- $43,526
- Typical debt at graduation
- $12,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 28%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 57%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.8 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 $16,808 (43%) 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
- 92°F
- Winter low
- 3°F
- Annual rain
- 10.9″
- Annual snow
- 29.5″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Rangely 1E, CO US station (1.1 mi from campus).
What Colorado Northwestern Community College 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 Colorado Northwestern Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Colorado Northwestern Community College side by side →
Otero College
La Junta, Colorado · Remote town · 91 mi to Colorado Springs
- Students
- 619
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 33%
- Earnings
- $39k
Northeastern Junior College
Sterling, Colorado · Remote town · 113 mi to Denver
- Students
- 786
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 10%
- Earnings
- $40k
Morgan Community College
Fort Morgan, Colorado · Fringe rural · 74 mi to Denver
- Students
- 634
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 16%
- Earnings
- $39k
Lamar Community College
Lamar, Colorado · Remote town · 131 mi to Colorado Springs
- Students
- 400
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 25%
- Earnings
- $39k
Pickens Technical College
Aurora, Colorado · Large city · 11 mi to Denver
- Students
- 686
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $39k
Trinidad State College
Trinidad, Colorado · Remote town · 116 mi to Colorado Springs
- Students
- 1,188
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 15%
- Earnings
- $36k
Colleges near Colorado Northwestern Community College
Uintah Basin Technical College
Roosevelt, UT · Public · Certificate · 544 students
Intellitec College-Grand Junction
Grand Junction, CO · Private for-profit · Certificate · 1,077 students
Colorado Mesa University
Grand Junction, CO · Public · Certificate · 8,143 students
Colorado Mountain College
Glenwood Springs, CO · Public · Certificate · 2,816 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.








