Golden is a college town: 17 of every 100 residents are students
Colorado School of Mines (7,376 students on campus) is inside the city, and Red Rocks Community College (5,913) is 3.6 miles from the center, just over the line in Lakewood. Across Colorado, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.
From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Golden. Colleges are described, not graded.
Within 15 miles
16
81,113 students on campus
Nearest college
0.9 mi
Colorado School of Mines
Residents in college
17%
Above CO (6%)
Nearest community college
3.6 mi
Red Rocks · $4,859 tuition
Nearest public university
0.9 mi
Colorado School of Mines · $21,914 in-state
Students on campus in Golden
7,376
next to 20,390 residents
What stands out about college in Golden
Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.
Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 12.7% of Golden residents are below the poverty line, 5.8% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 4 points either way). 65% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.
Cost of living D
The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 17%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.
Health A
CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Golden’s median age is 34.6 (Colorado 37.7), so the adult figures describe a young population.
Safety C
Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.
Every college
Colleges within 15 miles of Golden
10 private colleges within 14.1 miles, two public colleges within 10.9 miles, and four community colleges.
Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.
What it costs
What would your family pay?
The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.
Family income
Starts at $75–110k, where Golden’s median household income ($98,582) falls.
The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.
Outcomes
Do students finish, and does it pay?
Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Golden: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.
Front Range Community College35% graduate$46k earnings$12k typical debt
Metropolitan State University of Denver32% graduate$52k earnings$22k typical debt
Arapahoe Community College29% graduate$48k earnings$12k typical debt
University of Denver76% graduate$71k earnings$22k typical debt
Colorado School of Mines82% graduate$97k earnings$23k typical debt
Red Rocks Community College32% graduate$46k earnings$10k typical debt
Community College of Denver20% graduate$39k earnings$12k typical debt
Regis University61% graduate$72k earnings$25k typical debt
Colorado Christian University64% graduate$50k earnings$28k typical debt
Pima Medical Institute-Denver73% graduate$39k earnings*$10k typical debt
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design32% graduate$43k earnings$31k typical debt
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology63% graduate$59k earnings$19k typical debt
Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Pima Medical Institute-Denver (13).
Majors
What students study in Golden
Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Colorado School of Mines, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering80 graduates a year
$106k4 yrs out
Metallurgical Engineering61 graduates a year
$95k4 yrs out
Petroleum Engineering60 graduates a year
$117k4 yrs out
Engineering Physics53 graduates a year
$97k4 yrs out
College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.
Questions about college in Golden
Is Golden a college town?
Yes. 17 of every 100 Golden residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Colorado. Colorado School of Mines has 7,376 students on campus, next to 20,390 residents.
What colleges are in Golden?
Colorado School of Mines is inside the city. Red Rocks Community College is 3.6 miles from the center, in Lakewood.
Why is Golden’s poverty rate so high?
Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 12.7% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 5.8% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 4 points).
What is the closest community college to Golden, and what does it cost?
Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, 3.6 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,859 a year for Colorado residents; the federal net price, $9,044, counts housing and food at full cost.
How hard is it to get into Colorado School of Mines?
Colorado School of Mines admitted 61% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,320–1,480 on the SAT.
Neighbors talk college
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Golden. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →
Photo: Yassie · CC BY-SA 4.0