Colorado School of Mines

What are the graduation rates for students at Colorado School of Mines?

Colorado School of Mines reported a 67% four-year graduation rate and an 82% six-year graduation rate in the 2024-25 institutional data. These are cohort measures for eligible first-time, full-time undergraduates, not predictions for every student who enrolls.

The gap between the two figures shows that some students finish after four years but within six. Mines also reported a 93% first-year retention rate, meaning that most students in the measured first-time cohort returned for a second year. Retention and graduation describe different outcomes; neither explains on its own why a student stays, leaves or takes longer to complete a degree. Transfer and part-time students may follow different paths and are not necessarily represented by the standard first-time graduation measure.

What is the earning potential for graduates at Colorado School of Mines?

Federal College Scorecard program figures report earnings about one year after completion for graduates in particular fields. They are useful for comparing reported early-career outcomes, but they do not promise what an individual Mines graduate will make.

Among the reported figures, the one-year median was $72,458 for computer science and $70,029 for chemical engineering. Petroleum engineering's reported median was $94,022; mechanical engineering's was $67,670. These are program-level figures for the graduates included in the federal measure, rather than starting salaries for everyone who studied those subjects.

Interpret the differences cautiously. Program earnings can reflect occupation, location, further study and the characteristics of the graduates included in the measure. A one-year snapshot also leaves out later career changes, benefits, debt and the cost of earning the degree. Mines offers career counseling, résumé and interview support, employer recruiting and career events; those services are distinct from the reported earnings outcomes.