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Thornton, CO, welcome sign IMG 5209Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Thornton

Front Range Community College is 5.3 miles from Thornton

No college sits inside Thornton’s boundary, but Front Range Community College’s campus in Westminster, with 17,358 students on campus, is 5.3 miles from the center of town. About 5% of Thornton’s residents are enrolled in college, below Colorado (6%).

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 Thornton. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
11
62,227 students on campus
Nearest college
5.3 mi
Front Range
Residents in college
5%
Below CO (6%)
Nearest community college
5.3 mi
Front Range · $4,663 tuition
Nearest public university
5.3 mi
Front Range · $4,663 in-state
Median household income
$103K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from Thornton

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

A community college 5.3 miles awayFront Range Community College has 17,358 students on campus in Westminster, 35% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Front RangeLiving in Colorado, Front Range Community College charges $4,663 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $17,263. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 5% of residentsBelow Colorado (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Thornton

Seven private colleges within 14.5 miles, two public colleges within 13.3 miles, and two community colleges.

5 mi10 mi15 miFront RangeMetropolitan State University of DenverThornton
University or collegeCommunity college
Front Range Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 17,358 on campus · 5.3 mi · Westminster$13knet price35%graduate$46kearningsTuition and fees: $4,663 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Pima Medical Institute-DenverUniversity or college · For-profit · 764 on campus · 6.9 mi · Denver$22knet price73%graduate$39kearningsEarnings are reported for all 13 campuses that file with it.Spartan College of Aeronautics and TechnologyUniversity or college · For-profit · 321 on campus · 9.4 mi · Broomfield$30knet price63%graduate$59kearningsRegis UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,350 on campus · 10.3 mi · Denver86%admitted$18knet price61%graduate$72kearningsLincoln College of Technology-DenverUniversity or college · For-profit · 1,104 on campus · 10.9 mi · Denver$32knet price71%graduate$46kearningsEarnings are reported for all 8 campuses that file with it.Denver College of NursingUniversity or college · For-profit · 733 on campus · 11.9 mi · Denver$82kearningsEarnings are reported for all 2 campuses that file with it.Metropolitan State University of DenverUniversity or college · Public · 13,478 on campus · 12.6 mi · Denver99%admitted$15knet price32%graduate$52kearningsCommunity College of DenverCommunity college · Public · 5,660 on campus · 12.8 mi · Denver$9knet price20%graduate$39kearningsTuition and fees: $4,902 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusUniversity or college · Public · 18,774 on campus · 13.3 mi · Denver75%admitted$12knet price46%graduate$64kearningsRocky Mountain College of Art and DesignUniversity or college · For-profit · 489 on campus · 14 mi · Lakewood · mostly online$32knet price32%graduate$43kearnings74% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Concorde Career College-AuroraUniversity or college · For-profit · 196 on campus · 14.5 mi · Aurora90%admitted$17knet price64%graduate$42kearningsEarnings are reported for all 2 campuses that file with it.

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 Thornton’s median household income ($103,088) falls.

Community College of Denver12.8 mi · Denver · sticker $19,550 · tuition $4,902$13,041a year
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus13.3 mi · Denver · sticker $24,902$15,232a year
Front Range Community College5.3 mi · Westminster · sticker $21,526 · tuition $4,663$16,596a year
Metropolitan State University of Denver12.6 mi · Denver · sticker $24,622$19,539a year
Concorde Career College-Aurora14.5 mi · Aurora · sticker $22,697$21,966a year
Regis University10.3 mi · Denver · sticker $54,800$24,295a year
Lincoln College of Technology-Denver10.9 mi · Denver · sticker $37,032$35,138a year
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design14 mi · Lakewood · mostly online · sticker $37,505$36,040a year
Pima Medical Institute-Denver6.9 mi · Denver · sticker $26,476—a year
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology9.4 mi · Broomfield · sticker $37,719—a 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 Thornton: 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 →Front RangeRegis UniversityLincoln College of Technology-DenverMetropolitan State University of DenverCommunity College of DenverUniversity of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus46% graduate$64k earnings$20k typical debt
Front Range Community College35% graduate$46k earnings$12k typical debt
Metropolitan State University of Denver32% graduate$52k earnings$22k typical debt
Community College of Denver20% graduate$39k earnings$12k typical debt
Regis University61% graduate$72k earnings$25k typical debt
Lincoln College of Technology-Denver71% graduate$46k earnings*$12k 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
Concorde Career College-Aurora64% graduate$42k earnings*$10k 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); Lincoln College of Technology-Denver (8); Concorde Career College-Aurora (2).

Questions about college near Thornton

Is Thornton a college town?

No. About 5 of every 100 Thornton residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below Colorado (6). The nearest campus, Front Range Community College, is 5.3 miles away in Westminster.

What colleges are near Thornton?

11 colleges are within 15 miles. The largest: the University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus (13.3 miles, 18,774 students on campus), Front Range Community College (5.3 miles, 17,358) and Metropolitan State University of Denver (12.6 miles, 13,478).

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

Front Range Community College in Westminster, 5.3 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,663 a year for Colorado residents; the federal net price, $13,031, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Front Range Community College cost if we live in Colorado?

Tuition and fees are $4,663 a year in-state and $17,263 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $9,955 (under $30,000 income) to $21,378 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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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 Thornton. 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 →