Rocky Mountain
College of Art and Design
For-profit College in Lakewood, CO. Six-year graduation rate 32%. Median 10-year earnings $42,958.
Ten years after entry, the median Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design student earns $42,958 — a solidly middle-of-the-pack result for an undergraduate institution. Only 32% finish within six years, so roughly two in three students leave without the credential they enrolled for. Graduates leave owing a median of $31,000 — a substantial load to service on these earnings.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
- ! Debt-to-income ratio 0.72 — elevated (above 0.60)
- ! Graduation rate 32% — below national average
Academics
Only 32% finish within six years, so roughly two in three students leave without the credential. 54% first-year retention is low enough to be the defining risk of enrolling here. The two rates sit near each other: few students who return for a second year are missing from the six-year completion figure. Part-time students fare worse, returning at 28% — relevant if you plan to work while enrolled. The 13:1 student-faculty ratio is small enough that seminar-sized classes are the norm.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 1,878 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Net price averages $31,752 annually, so cost is the first thing to weigh here. Net price varies modestly by income — $29,847 at $0–30k against $36,201 at $110k+ — so the average is a fair guide for most families. Grant aid reaches 67% of students at an average of $5,171. Borrowing is widespread: 60% take federal loans.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 114 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $29,847 |
| $30–48k | $29,351 |
| $48–75k | $32,387 |
| $75–110k | $36,040 |
| $110k+ | $36,201 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 1,132 of these 1,878 students, totalling $10,043,903 — an average of $8,873 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Jefferson County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)