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Gunnison River Bridge IGunnison River Bridge I · Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Gunnison

Gunnison is a college town: 26 of every 100 residents are students

Western Colorado University (2,911 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Colorado, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town26% of residents are studentsWestern Colorado University

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 Gunnison. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
2,911 students on campus
Nearest college
0.3 mi
Western Colorado University
Residents in college
26%
Above CO (6%)
Nearest community college
116.3 mi
Pikes Peak State College · $4,510 tuition
Nearest public university
0.3 mi
Western Colorado University · $11,318 in-state
Students on campus in Gunnison
2,911
next to 6,836 residents

What stands out about college in Gunnison

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town26 of every 100 Gunnison residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.A university in GunnisonWestern Colorado University has 2,911 students on campus in Gunnison, 50% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Western Colorado UniversityLiving in Colorado, Western Colorado University charges $11,318 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $24,434. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 116.3 miles awayPikes Peak State College in Colorado Springs: tuition and fees $4,510 a year for Colorado residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Gunnison

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

26 of every 100 Gunnison residents are in college (CO: 6).

2,911students on campus at Western Colorado University, next to 6,836 residents (dorm students count as residents)
852college students live in Gunnison households rather than dorms
25.2median age · CO 37.7
56%of residents are men · CO 51% (±3.7 points)
51%of homes rented · CO 34%
$1,230median rent · 30% below the state
Cost of living$1,230/mo median rentB−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIDHealthCDC estimatesA−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Gunnison’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 22.5% of Gunnison residents are below the poverty line, 13.8% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 12 points either way). 71% 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 B−

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (26% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health A−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Gunnison’s median age is 25.2 (Colorado 37.7), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety D

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 Gunnison

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Gunnison.

5 mi10 mi15 miWestern Colorado UniversityGunnison
University or collegeCommunity college
Western Colorado UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 2,911 on campus · In Gunnison100%admitted$16knet price50%graduate$47kearnings

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 $48–75k, where Gunnison’s median household income ($62,189) falls.

Western Colorado UniversityIn Gunnison · sticker $25,736$13,908a year

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 Gunnison: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Western Colorado University
Western Colorado University50% graduate$47k earnings$20k 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.

Majors

What students study in Gunnison

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Western Colorado University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 19%Parks & recreation 13%Biology 10%Social sciences 9%Computer science 8%Psychology 8%Everything else 32%

Biggest programs

Business Administration, Management and Operations77 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Biology, General43 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness32 graduates a year
$41k4 yrs out
Psychology, General32 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
Natural Resources Conservation and Research24 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Fine and Studio Arts21 graduates a year
$40k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies19 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies17 graduates a year
$48k4 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 Gunnison

Is Gunnison a college town?

Yes. 26 of every 100 Gunnison residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Colorado. Western Colorado University has 2,911 students on campus, next to 6,836 residents.

What colleges are in Gunnison?

Western Colorado University is inside the city. Pikes Peak State College is 116.3 miles away in Colorado Springs.

Why is Gunnison’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 22.5% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 13.8% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 12 points).

What is the closest community college to Gunnison, and what does it cost?

Pikes Peak State College in Colorado Springs, 116.3 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,510 a year for Colorado residents; the federal net price, $6,007, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Western Colorado University?

Western Colorado University admitted 100% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,163–1,353 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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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 Gunnison. 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 →