Colorado Springs, COprivate forprofitintellitec.edu/
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Intellitec College-Colorado Springs isn't a traditional liberal arts college; it's a direct pipeline to the skilled trades and technical professions of the Pikes Peak region. For over 60 years, this career-focused institution has operated with a singular mission: providing hands-on, practical training for immediate job readiness. With an open admissions policy and a student body that is majority-minority, it serves as a critical access point for adult learners and career-changers, though its graduation and retention metrics reflect the significant challenges non-traditional students often face.
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Outcomes & value
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Intellitec College-Colorado Springs maintains an open admissions policy, meaning it accepts virtually all applicants. Multiple sources confirm an of 100%, positioning it as an accessible entry point for career training. The school does not require standardized test scores like the SAT or ACT for admission consideration. The student body demographics reflect a diverse population: 52.08% White, 23.04% Hispanic/Latino, 19% Black or African American, 2.7% Asian, and 0.98% American Indian or Alaska Native. There is no application fee, further lowering the barrier to entry. The admissions process is not selective in the traditional sense; instead, it focuses on providing access to career education for a wide range of applicants, including adult learners and those seeking a direct path to employment.
Academics at Intellitec are defined by a laser focus on career training. The highest degree offered is an associate degree, and all programs are designed to be hands-on and tailored to specific professions. The school emphasizes practical experience for job readiness, delivered by what it describes as industry-experienced instructors. With a student-faculty ratio of 22-to-1, the model is built around direct, applied learning rather than theoretical exploration. The Colorado Springs campus has been providing this type of training to the region for more than 60 years. Programs are not listed in detail in the provided sources, but the overarching philosophy is clear: education is a means to a specific vocational end, with curriculum and instruction geared entirely toward preparing graduates for immediate entry into their chosen fields.
Student life at Intellitec appears to be community-oriented and centered around creating a supportive environment for its non-traditional, career-focused student body. While specific clubs or organizations are not detailed in the provided sources, the campus actively works to foster connection and fun throughout the student experience. An Instagram post highlighting "walking tacos" suggests informal, social events are part of the campus culture designed to build community. Given the school's mission and the likely profile of its students—many of whom may be balancing work, family, and studies—student life is probably less about a sprawling residential campus experience and more about creating pockets of camaraderie and support among peers pursuing similar career goals.
Outcome data for Intellitec College-Colorado Springs paints a mixed picture, indicative of the challenges faced by institutions serving non-traditional and career-focused student populations. A 2024 campus report showed a graduation/completion rate of 37% for one cohort, while other sources report higher figures: the College Scorecard notes a 66% graduation rate, and College Factual reports a 45% on-time graduation rate for first-time, full-time students. These discrepancies likely reflect different cohorts and measurement periods. More positively, the same 2024 campus report indicated a 76% employment rate for its graduates. The median earnings for graduates 10 years after entry is $42,169, a figure that provides a concrete benchmark for the economic return on its career training programs. An internal data point shows the institution paid $10.7 million in salaries in 2024, representing 70.8% of its overall expenditure.
The at Intellitec is significant, with a listed tuition of $40,392. However, the average after aid—the canonical figure provided—is $30,716. Approximately 70% of full-time beginning undergraduates receive some form of grant or scholarship aid. The school offers a Net Price Calculator to help prospective students estimate their actual cost. Financial aid is available to those who qualify and can come from various sources, including scholarships, government grants, loans, and work-study programs. The school's financial aid materials explicitly note that unsubsidized Stafford and PLUS loans are available regardless of demonstrated financial need, emphasizing that aid is a possibility for many students. There is no indication in the provided sources that Intellitec has a "no-loan" policy or meets 100% of demonstrated need without loans; its aid packages likely include a mix of grants and loans.
Intellitec College-Colorado Springs stands out for its unwavering, no-frills commitment to vocational education. It doesn't pretend to be a comprehensive university; it is a trade school with a clear purpose. Its 100% and open admissions policy make it a vital access point for individuals—particularly from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds—seeking a direct, hands-on path to a skilled career. The 60-year in Colorado Springs speaks to its entrenched role in the local workforce ecosystem. While graduation rates are variable and the remains substantial, its reported 76% employment rate for graduates and the concrete median earnings figure suggest its model can effectively connect students to the workforce. It serves a specific, important niche: students who know what job they want and seek focused training without the general education requirements of a traditional associate degree program.