Best Space Studies Schools Near Wheat Ridge, CO (2026)

Wheat Ridge, Colorado has 2 accredited schools offering space studies programs, with tuition ranging from $15,666 to $44,918 per year for indexed programs. Wheat Ridge has a population of about 32,158. Median household income is $87,598 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, the top-earning space studies-related role is Physicists at a median $166,140 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Space Studies Schools to Wheat Ridge

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

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

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#1

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, CO 18.6 miles from Wheat Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
73.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,738
Avg net price $25,346/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,666
Out‑of‑state$44,918
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

United States Air Force Academy

USAF Academy, CO 53.8 miles from Wheat Ridge
  • 4 year
79.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Space Studies Wages Near Wheat Ridge

Wheat Ridge is part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (BLS area code 19740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Astronomers N/A CO statewide
Physicists $166,140 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $157,032
Aerospace Engineers $156,190 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $147,628
Natural Sciences Managers $141,080 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $133,346
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $85,440 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $80,756
Engineers, All Other $131,740 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $124,518
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary $85,030 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $80,369
Physical Scientists, All Other $140,980 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $133,251

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.


Wheat Ridge at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 32,158 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $87,598 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 44.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 105.8 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Wheat Ridge-Area Cities With Space Studies Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited space studies schools are near Wheat Ridge, CO?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering space studies programs near Wheat Ridge. The closest is University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, CO (18.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is United States Air Force Academy (53.8 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying space studies roles near Wheat Ridge?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying space studies-related roles near Wheat Ridge are: Physicists ($166,140), Aerospace Engineers ($156,190), Natural Sciences Managers ($141,080). 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 Arvada instead of Wheat Ridge?

Arvada, CO is 4.8 miles from Wheat Ridge and has its own set of local space studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Wheat Ridge an affordable place to study space studies?

Wheat Ridge’s median household income of $87,598 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wheat Ridge 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 Space Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Wheat Ridge

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

Data verified: September 7, 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.