


The reported six-year graduation rate is 46%, while the four-year rate is 29%. These figures describe completion within specified time windows for the relevant first-time, full-time undergraduate cohort; they are not graduation rates for every transfer, part-time, graduate, or professional student.
The reported first-year retention rate is 73%, meaning roughly that share of the measured first-time cohort returned the following fall under the reporting definition. A student comparing outcomes should pay attention to these cohort rules: a large transfer population can be important to campus life without being represented in the standard first-time graduation measure. Neither rate predicts an individual student's result.
Federal College Scorecard program figures report earnings measured about one year after completion for graduates included in the underlying federal data. They are early-career indicators, not starting-salary offers or predictions for everyone who studies a subject.
Examples in the reported program data include $68,732 for computer and information sciences and $59,258 for registered nursing. Business administration is reported at $46,506, while fine and studio arts is reported at $30,618. These are program-specific figures, not a university-wide salary, and the data do not establish that a particular degree caused the difference.
College Scorecard earnings generally reflect people whose records can be matched in the federal system and may exclude graduates without reported earnings. Degree level, later education, occupation, hours worked, and local labor markets can all affect comparisons. CU Denver's career services offer a different kind of information: students can seek career counseling, résumé and interview help, job-search resources, employer events, and networking support, but access to those services is not an employment outcome.
Degrees
Anthropology
$34,459Biology, General
$31,856Business Administration, Management and Operations
$46,506Civil Engineering
$62,699Communication and Media Studies
$37,733Computer and Information Sciences, General
$68,732Criminal Justice and Corrections
$39,827Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
$21,688Economics
$40,044Education, General
$35,571Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
$70,065Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
$25,094Fine and Studio Arts
$30,618Geography and Cartography
$32,055History
$36,472International/Globalization Studies
$41,004Mathematics
$52,987Mechanical Engineering
$65,913Music
$24,558Political Science and Government
$36,350Psychology, General
$33,604Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$59,258Research and Experimental Psychology
$33,411Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
$35,612Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
$24,818Sociology
$29,663BACHELOR’S Degree
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Health Professions and Related Programs
Psychology
Visual and Performing Arts
Social Sciences
Engineering
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
Architecture and Related Services
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
MASTER’S Degree
Health Professions and Related Programs
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Education
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Public Administration and Social Service Professions
Engineering
Architecture and Related Services
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Social Sciences
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
DOCTOR’S Degree
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Education
Psychology
Health Professions and Related Programs
Engineering
Public Administration and Social Service Professions
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
Social Sciences
Mathematics and Statistics
Data last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.