Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Metropolitan State University of Denver, Boise State University, University of Alaska Anchorage. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Metropolitan StateDenver, CO | Boise StateBoise, ID | Alaska AnchorageAnchorage, AK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 98.8% | 87.2% | Not reportedNot reported by University of Alaska Anchorage in the most recent federal collection. |
| SAT middle 50% | 880–1130 | Not reportedBoise State University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | Not reportedUniversity of Alaska Anchorage did not report an SAT score range for its most recent entering class. |
| Average net price | $15,32735.5% on Pell grants | $21,61018.1% on Pell grants | $15,30118.5% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $11,124 in-state · $30,684 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $9,048 in-state · $27,788 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $7,738 in-state · $21,322 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 31.5% | 60.2% | 29.7% |
| First-year retention | 62.9% | 78.8% | 70.7% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 35.5% | 18.1% | 18.5% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $52,093 | $51,658 | $51,871 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,500 | $20,500 | $20,210 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 14:1 | 19:1 | 12:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 15,002 | 17,674 | 7,212 |
| Consensus percentile | 66Lower is better | 66Lower is better | 69Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 60 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 79 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 56 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Metropolitan State | Boise State | Alaska Anchorage |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #102 of 118Regional univ. (West)Regional Universities (West) · 2026 | #301 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #78 of 118Regional univ. (West)Regional Universities (West) · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | #483 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | #749 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #1135 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #423 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #480 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #474 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #690 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #463 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #1021 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Metropolitan State University of Denver on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Boise State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Alaska Anchorage on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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