GOLDEN, Colo., April 1, 2015 – Colorado School of Mines ranked 1^st in the state for best value colleges, according to a report by New York-based SmartAsset, a financial data and technology company. Mines, with a 99.72 affordability index and average starting salary for graduates of $66,700, was ranked 2^nd in the nation behind University of Michigan.

Rankings provided by SmartAsset.com.

In the nation, Colorado State University ranked 61^st with an affordability index of 57.56 and University of Colorado Boulder 140^th with an index of 69.34. CSU and CU graduates have average starting salaries of $45,700 and $46,300, according to the SmartAsset data.

In the state, CSU came in second, followed by CU, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and Fort Lewis College in Durango.

Rankings were determined by looking at categories including average scholarships and grants, starting salary upon graduation, tuition, living costs and retention rate.

Contact:

Kathleen Morton, Communications Coordinator / 303-273-3088 / KMorton@mines.edu

Karen Gilbert, Director of Public Relations / 303-273-3541 / KGilbert@mines.edu