The real 4-year cost of University of Colorado Boulder in Colorado
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at University of Colorado Boulder went from $7,278 to $15,014, an average of 2.8% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $15,014Base Rate (Tier 1) tuition and fees for students first enrolling Summer/Fall 2026 or Spring 2027. Higher tiers apply to CMDI, Engineering/Natural Sciences, and Business majors.source
Read with care: this school's history shows a tuition drop or reset, so a smooth projection may not hold.
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $7,278 | – | – |
| 2009 | $7,932 | – | – |
| 2010 | $8,511 | – | – |
| 2011 | $9,152 | – | – |
| 2012 | $9,482 | – | – |
| 2013 | $10,347 | – | – |
| 2014 | $10,789 | – | – |
| 2015 | $11,091 | – | – |
| 2016 | $11,531 | – | – |
| 2017 | $12,086 | – | – |
| 2018 | $12,054 | – | – |
| 2019 | $12,500 | – | – |
| 2020 | $12,466 | – | – |
| 2021 | $12,610 | – | – |
| 2022 | $12,590 | – | – |
| 2023 | $15,556 | – | – |
| 2026 | $15,014 | $15,014 | – |
| 2027 | – | $15,433 | $14,566–$16,300 |
| 2028 | – | $15,864 | $14,131–$17,697 |
| 2029 | – | $16,307 | $13,709–$19,214 |
| 2030 | – | $16,762 | $13,299–$20,860 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $15,014 |
| Year 2 | $15,433 |
| Year 3 | $15,864 |
| Year 4 | $16,307 |
| 4-year total | $62,617 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $22,617
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $34,622
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Announced 2026–27
- $19,242/ yr
- rising 3.5% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $81,092
School’s own published rateResidence hall standard double plus 19 meals a week.source
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here is rising faster than tuition.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at University of Colorado Boulder4-year schools with similar prices in Colorado
Closest to University of Colorado Boulder by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- DeVry University-Colorado$15,032
- Colorado State University-Fort Collins$14,257
- Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs$12,760
- University of Northern Colorado$11,528
- Western Colorado University$11,083
- Metropolitan State University of Denver$10,780
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs$10,438
- Denver College of Nursing$19,860
Use this data
Published figures for University of Colorado Boulder from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.