Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Lafayette, CO (2026)

Lafayette, Colorado has 3 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $4,030 to $33,751 per year for indexed programs. Lafayette has a population of about 30,471. Median household income is $110,431 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 65.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Boulder, CO metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $131,470 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Lafayette

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Lafayette, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lafayette 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 Lafayette. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO 17.9 miles from Lafayette BOC Score 43.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Colorado School of Mines

Golden, CO 18.9 miles from Lafayette BOC Score 79.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 61%
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $97,335
Avg net price $28,690/yr
Tuition
In‑state$21,914
Out‑of‑state$45,824
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Denver

Denver, CO 23.1 miles from Lafayette BOC Score 70.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,155
Avg net price $36,131/yr
Tuition
In‑state$61,398
Out‑of‑state$61,398
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Community College of Aurora

Aurora, CO 24.7 miles from Lafayette BOC Score 47.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,592
Avg net price $8,656/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,470
Out‑of‑state$17,070
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Fort Collins, CO 39.8 miles from Lafayette BOC Score 69.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 89%
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,543
Avg net price $21,279/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,373
Out‑of‑state$34,783
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Lafayette

Lafayette 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)
Public Relations Specialist$81,180Boulder, CO$77,167
Management Analyst$131,470Boulder, CO$124,971
Technical Writer$105,840Boulder, CO$100,608
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$60,770CO statewide$57,766
Editor$81,090Boulder, CO$77,082
Training and Development Specialist$79,420Boulder, CO$75,494
Human Resources Specialist$86,200Boulder, CO$81,939

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.


Lafayette at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population30,471Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$110,431Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+65.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)105.2 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Boulder County825 workers, 244 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lafayette-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Lafayette, CO?

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Lafayette are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Lafayette?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Lafayette are: Management Analyst ($131,470), Technical Writer ($105,840), Human Resources Specialist ($86,200). 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 Louisville instead of Lafayette?

Louisville, CO is 2.9 miles from Lafayette and has its own set of local liberal arts programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Lafayette an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Lafayette’s median household income of $110,431 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lafayette 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 Liberal Arts Programs

Other Programs Available in Lafayette

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.