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.

PublicSmall · 1,188 undergradsRemote townNJCAA Division ICold wintersSnowy

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
To the ocean
640 miles
Nearest airport
77 miles to San Luis Valley Regional Airport/Bergman Field (ALS)

How Trinidad State College compares

Graduation rate55%

Higher than 42% · #32 of 49 in Colorado

First-year retention64%

Higher than 31%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$36,475

Higher than 54% · #29 of 44 in Colorado

Average net price$10,772

Cheaper than 67% · #12 cheapest of 49 in Colorado

Median debt at graduation$8,908

Lower than 67%

Student–faculty ratio16 : 1

Lower than 49%

Undergraduate enrollment1,188

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

1,188undergrads
  • 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)

All students
55%
Low-income (Pell)
38%
First-generation
37%

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)

Soccer43
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)35
Baseball34
Basketball31
Wrestling25
Softball20
Volleyball12
Beach Volleyball11

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.

3.3reported offenses a year
2.3 violent a year1.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
1.0
Fondling
1.0
Rape
0.7
Aggravated assault
0.7

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.

< $30k
$9,366
$30–48k
$10,284
$48–75k
$10,379
$75–110k
$14,945
$110k+
$18,413

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.

49%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$5,467
average award, among those who get one

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.

Solid value

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.

Women
$30,875
Men
$43,485

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

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.32.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Trinidad, CO US station (1.5 mi from campus).

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 →

Colleges near Trinidad State College

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.