Home / Worth-It Scores / Colorado / Fort Lewis
Is Fort Lewis College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Fort Lewis, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Fort Lewis sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $46,349 helps, but median debt of $18,389 plus yearly net price of $17,296 creates a tighter path. For context, Fort Lewis's net price runs about 22% above the typical 4-year, public school. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 774 similar 4-year, public schools
This school
$16,074
/yrAverage school like this
$13,155
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $2,920 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $12,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$17,296
Median earnings 10 years out
$46,349
Median debt at graduation
$18,389
Graduation rate
39%
At Fort Lewis, a typical graduate carries about $18,389 in student debt and earns roughly $46,349 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $209 per month, or 5% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $4,549 more than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
74% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Fort Lewis is a public four year school in Durango, CO. For many families, the key question is whether the published value here beats cheaper in state or regional alternatives once your real aid offer arrives.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Public 4-year
University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, CO
Worth-It Score: 58/100
Median net price: $17,760
Public 4-year
Western Colorado
Gunnison, CO
Worth-It Score: 57/100
Median net price: $16,425
Public 4-year
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, CO
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $15,788
Public 4-year
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, CO
Worth-It Score: 56/100
Median net price: $15,327
Public 4-year
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Fort Collins, CO
Worth-It Score: 66/100
Median net price: $21,279
Common questions about Fort Lewis
The median net price at Fort Lewis is $17,296 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at public universities options in Colorado? See the most affordable public universities in Colorado →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →