Best Innovation Schools Near Erie, CO (2026)

Erie, Colorado has 5 accredited schools offering innovation programs, with tuition ranging from $4,902 to $54,242 per year for indexed programs. Erie has a population of about 31,927. Median household income is $163,644 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 66.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Boulder, CO metro area, the top-earning innovation-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $206,260 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Innovation Schools to Erie

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer innovation programs near Erie, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Erie city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Erie. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Front Range Community College

Westminster, CO 9.5 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,910
Avg net price $13,031/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO 20.4 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,093
Avg net price $15,327/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 107

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Community College of Denver

Denver, CO 20.6 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
37.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,095
Avg net price $9,450/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,902
Out‑of‑state$17,136
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Colorado Christian University

Lakewood, CO 22.6 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
36.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,416
Avg net price $29,500/yr
Tuition
In‑state$41,342
Out‑of‑state$41,342
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Red Rocks Community College

Lakewood, CO 22.7 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,288
Avg net price $9,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

Denver, CO 22.9 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
61.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,270
Avg net price $11,900/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,383
Out‑of‑state$29,391
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Arapahoe Community College

Littleton, CO 29.8 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,341
Avg net price $11,571/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Northern Colorado

Greeley, CO 31.6 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,231
Avg net price $17,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Colorado schools on the Colorado innovation page.


Innovation Wages Near Erie

Erie is part of the Boulder, CO metro area (BLS area code 14500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Manager$152,100Boulder, CO$144,582
Management Analyst$131,470Boulder, CO$124,971
Marketing Manager$199,570Boulder, CO$189,705
Computer and Information Systems Manager$206,260Boulder, CO$196,065

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Erie at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population31,927Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$163,644Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+66.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)105.2 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Erie-Area Cities With Innovation Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited innovation schools are near Erie, CO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering innovation programs near Erie. The closest is Front Range Community College in Westminster, CO (9.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Red Rocks Community College (22.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying innovation roles near Erie?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying innovation-related roles near Erie are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($206,260), Marketing Manager ($199,570), General and Operations Manager ($152,100). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lafayette instead of Erie?

Lafayette, CO is 4.3 miles from Erie and has its own set of local innovation programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Erie an affordable place to study innovation?

Erie’s median household income of $163,644 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Erie while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Innovation Programs

Other Programs Available in Erie

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Erie:

Data verified: August 31, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.