Colorado: school, college and career rules
Colorado has no statewide credit list: districts set graduation requirements that include the state Graduation Guidelines menu; in-state tuition needs 12 months of domicile, and the Colorado Student Grant helps students with financial need.
Linked from the State Population Totals 2020-2025 page (census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html); population and rank copied from the POPESTIMATE2025 and NRANK_POPEST2025 columns.Census
High school diploma
Local school boards set high school graduation requirements. Since the class of 2021-22 they must include the state Graduation Guidelines: students show readiness through at least one measure in reading, writing and communicating and one in mathematics from a Menu of Options. CDE
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No statewide credit total: each district sets its own.
State tests for the diploma
The Menu of Options includes test scores, programs such as AP, IB and concurrent enrollment, and performance-based options such as capstones. The guidelines build on Individual Career and Academic Plans (ICAP), essential skills and the Colorado Academic Standards. CDE
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Also good to know
- Districts report the menu measure each student from the 2021 anticipated graduation year onward graduated with.
CDE
Graduation GuidelinesColorado Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
State test: CMAS and PSAT/SAT
Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) and the PSAT/SAT suite. CMAS is the state's common end-of-year measure of progress in English language arts, math, science and social studies; the PSAT/SAT suite serves as the high school college- and career-readiness measure. CDE
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| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| CMAS | English language arts and mathematics | Grades 3–8 |
| CMAS | Science | Grades 5, 8 and 11 |
| CMAS | Social studies (about a third of schools each year) | Grades 4 and 7 |
| PSAT | Reading, writing and math | Grades 9 and 10 |
| SAT | Reading, writing and math | Grade 11 |
Source: CDE
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What the scores are used for
- Federal funds require annual statewide tests; the grade 4 and 7 social studies tests and the grade 9 and 10 PSAT are required only by Colorado law.
CDE
Fact Sheets and FAQs (state assessments)Colorado Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
National tests (SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP) are on the Exams hub.
Public colleges and universities
The state's public university system(s) and community colleges, from their own pages.
- University of Colorado (CU)University system · Four campuses (Boulder, Denver, Colorado Springs and Anschutz) governed by the Board of Regents, which the state constitution charges with general supervision of the university.
- Colorado Community College System (CCCS)Community colleges · The state's largest higher education system: 13 colleges and more than 35 locations serving about 130,000 students a year, governed by a 12-member board.
Sources: CU
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Every school in Colorado, public and private, with cost and completion: 84 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 8 city pages.
In-state tuition: the residency rule
Public colleges charge less to state residents. Who counts as a resident is set by state law or the college system, not by where you went to school alone.
- By law, an in-state student (or the student's parents) must have been domiciled in Colorado for 12 or more continuous months immediately before the first day of classes. Physical presence and intent must both exist.
CDHE
Residency Requirements: Frequently Asked QuestionsColorado Department of Higher Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- You can start the 12-month clock at 22 (so a student on their own qualifies no sooner than their 23rd birthday); under 23, you can qualify through parents domiciled in Colorado for 12 months. Each college's tuition classification officer decides.
CDHE
Residency Requirements: Frequently Asked QuestionsColorado Department of Higher Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Colorado Student Grant
Colorado's need-based award for qualified students with documented financial need (alongside the Colorado Graduate Grant for graduate students). CDHE
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Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Colorado license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Colorado board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Colorado Supreme Court, Office of Attorney Admissions | Uniform Bar Exam (MBE, MEE and MPT). MPRE required (passing score 85). NextGen UBE from July 2028. NCBEColorado: bar admission informationNational Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
Bar admission agency, the NCBE exams the jurisdiction requires, MPRE passing score and NextGen UBE plans. NCBE advises checking the agency itself for the latest rules. View source |
| Physician How a medical license works | Colorado Medical Board | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.) FSMBContact a State Medical BoardFederation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Directory of every state's medical (and separate osteopathic) board. fsmb.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sep 2026; each board link was then opened on 22 Oct 2026, through the board's site or, where it blocks reads from India, its latest archive capture. View source |
| CPA How the CPA license works | Colorado State Board of Accountancy | Uniform CPA Examination NASBAState Boards of AccountancyNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Directory of the 55 boards of accountancy. nasba.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 Oct 2026; board links that had moved were replaced with the board's current page, opened on 22 Oct 2026. View source |
| Registered nurse How the RN license works | Colorado Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 19, 2018 NCSBNContact Colorado Board of NursingNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
NCSBN / NLCNLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF)National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact)
|
Engineering, teaching, real estate, cosmetology and the trades have their own boards: all professional licenses · trades and apprenticeships.
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
State of Colorado Careers
State of Colorado (Department of Personnel & Administration)
- Search jobs across state departments and institutions and apply online; career events are announced on the site.
- Colorado's constitution requires applicants for classified state jobs to be Colorado residents, unless the work is mainly within 30 miles of the border or the requirement is waived for a position.
Source: careers.colorado.gov
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Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Colorado has a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. California is listed under both OA and SAA.Apprenticeship.gov
- Colorado State Apprenticeship AgencyColorado is a State Apprenticeship Agency state: the Colorado State Apprenticeship Agency registers and oversees programs for federal purposes.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: Apprenticeship.gov
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Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- Annual Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and State Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (NST-EST2025-POPCHG2020-2025, CSV) · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025) checked 2026-10-21
- Colorado: bar admission information · National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact a State Medical Board · Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) checked 2026-10-22
- State Boards of Accountancy · National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact Colorado Board of Nursing · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) checked 2026-10-22
- NLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF) · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact) checked 2026-10-07
- Graduation Guidelines · Colorado Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- CDE Assessment · Colorado Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Fact Sheets and FAQs (state assessments) · Colorado Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- University of Colorado · Regents of the University of Colorado checked 2026-10-22
- About the System · Colorado Community College System checked 2026-10-22
- Residency Requirements: Frequently Asked Questions · Colorado Department of Higher Education checked 2026-10-22
- State Aid Available · Colorado Department of Higher Education checked 2026-10-22
- State of Colorado Careers · State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration checked 2026-10-22
- State Offices: Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agency contacts by state · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21
- The Apprenticeship System: Office of Apprenticeship (OA) and recognized State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) states · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21