Public · Community college
Trinidad State College
Trinidad, Colorado · Remote town
- 15%
- Transfer rate
- $10,772
- Avg net price
- 55%
- Grad / completion
- $36,475
- Median earnings
Trinidad State College is a public certificate-granting institution in Trinidad, Colorado (remote town setting), enrolling 1,188 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Admission is open to all applicants.
About Trinidad, Colorado
Trinidad is the home rule municipality that is the county seat of and the most populous municipality in Las Animas County, Colorado, United States. Trinidad was first explored by Spanish and Mexican traders, who liked its proximity to the Santa Fe Trail. It was founded in 1862 soon after coal was discovered in the region. This led to an influx of immigrants eager to capitalize on this natural resource. For many years Trinidad housed the miners who worked in the coal mines of the Raton Basin south and west of the town. Major operators included Colorado Fuel and Iron and Victor-American Fuel Company. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Remote town
- Highest degree offered
- Bachelor's
- Nearest big city
- 116 miles to Colorado Springs, CO
- To the ocean
- 640 miles
- Nearest airport
- 77 miles to San Luis Valley Regional Airport/Bergman Field (ALS)
How Trinidad State College compares
Higher than 42% · #32 of 49 in Colorado
Higher than 31%
Higher than 54% · #29 of 44 in Colorado
Cheaper than 67% · #12 cheapest of 49 in Colorado
Lower than 67%
Lower than 49%
Larger than 75%
Percentiles compare Trinidad State 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
- Women60051%
- Men58849%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White33%
- Black9.4%
- Hispanic44%
- Asian1.2%
- Other or multiracial13%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,188
- Student–faculty ratio
- 16 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 45%
- First-generation students
- 56%
- Students over 25
- 34%
- Median family income
- $21,972
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $56,493
- Endowment
- $7,729,140
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 405 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Colorado81%
- Other U.S. states17%
- International1.5%
Most first-years stay in state — Trinidad State College draws overwhelmingly from Colorado.
2% 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
- $4,608
- Out-of-state tuition
- $7,318
- Room & board
- $9,693
- Books & supplies
- $1,460
- Total cost of attendance
- $21,458
- Average net price
- $10,772
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
- 55%
- First-year retention
- 64%
- Transferred to another college
- 15%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $36,025
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $36,475
- Median debt at graduation
- $8,908
- Students with federal loans
- 12%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 40%
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
- 277
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 23%
- Housing charge (year)
- $3,346
- Meal plan (year)
- $5,000
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division I
- Varsity athletes
- 211 (106 men · 105 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 (8)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- C
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 2.1 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 7
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 3
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (1,613 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: 49% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $5,467. 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 217 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)
- $36,475
- Typical debt at graduation
- $8,908
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 24%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 41%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.4 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 $12,610 (41%) 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
- 88°F
- Winter low
- 22°F
- Annual rain
- 14.9″
- Annual snow
- 55.1″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Trinidad, CO US station (1.5 mi from campus).
What Trinidad State 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 Trinidad State College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Trinidad State 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
Pickens Technical College
Aurora, Colorado · Large city · 11 mi to Denver
- Students
- 686
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $39k
Pueblo Community College
Pueblo, Colorado · Midsize city · 41 mi to Colorado Springs
- Students
- 3,619
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 17%
- Earnings
- $37k
Lamar Community College
Lamar, Colorado · Remote town · 131 mi to Colorado Springs
- Students
- 400
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 25%
- Earnings
- $39k
Colleges near Trinidad State College
Pueblo Community College
Pueblo, CO · Public · Certificate · 3,619 students
Otero College
La Junta, CO · Public · Certificate · 619 students
Adams State University
Alamosa, CO · Public · Bachelor's · 1,250 students
Colorado State University Pueblo
Pueblo, CO · Public · Bachelor's · 3,042 students
University of New Mexico-Taos Campus
Ranchos de Taos, NM · Public · Certificate · 377 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.








