Colorado School of Trades

1575 Hoyt St
Lakewood, CO 80215
Top Ranked (2024): View Rankings
  • Colorado School of Trades (CST) is the oldest and largest Gunsmithing School in the United States. The Colorado School of Trades has been teaching Gunsmithing since 1947. We prepare our students for an exciting career as a Gunsmith. Gunsmiths spend their workday repairing and building custom firearms, operating lathes and mills, and performing detailed wood shaping and finishing. Their machinists skills are on display every day.

School Highlights

Colorado School of Trades serves 96 students (100% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 5:1 is lower than the state community college average of 14:1.
Minority enrollment is 57% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the state average of 43%.

Quick Stats (2024)

  • Enrollment: 96 students
  • Acceptance Rate: 86%
  • Student:teacher ratio: 5:1
  • Minority enrollment: 57%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Top Rankings

Colorado School of Trades ranks among the top 20% of public schools in Colorado for:

School Overview

The teacher population of 18 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Colorado School of Trades
(CO) Community College Avg.
Carnegie Classification
Associates Colleges
Associates Colleges
Institution Level
At least 2 but less than 4 years
Four or more years
Institution Control
Private for-profit
Public
Total Faculty
18 staff
80 staff
This chart display total faculty of Colorado School of Trades and community college average number of faculty in CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Number of Programs Offered
1
29

Student Body

The student population of Colorado School of Trades has declined by 35% over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 5:1 has decreased from 8:1 over five years.
The Colorado School of Trades diversity score of 0.72 is more than the state average of 0.62. The school's diversity has grown by 15% over five years.
Total Enrollment
96 students
2,187 students
This chart display the total enrollment of Colorado School of Trades and community college average number of enrollment of CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
5:1
14:1
This chart display the student staff ratio of Colorado School of Trades and community college average student staff ratio of CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Full-Time Students
96 students
687 students
This chart display the total number of Full-time students enrollment of Colorado School of Trades and average number of community college Full-time students enrollment of CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Part-Time Students
n/a
1,500 students
This chart display the Full-time students and Part-time students enrollment breakdown of Colorado School of Trades.
This chart display community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of CO.
# Enrollment Undergraduate
157 students
443 students
# Full-Time Undergraduate Students
96 students
585 students
This chart display the total number of Full-time undergraduate students enrollment of Colorado School of Trades and average number of community college Full-time undergraduate  students enrollment of CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Full-Time Graduate Students
n/a
97 students
# Part-Time Undergraduate Students
n/a
952 students
# Part-Time Graduate Students
n/a
1 students
Total Dormitory Capacity
n/a
346 students
% American Indian/Alaskan
1%
1%
This chart display the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan students in Colorado School of Trades and the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan community college students in CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Asian
1%
3%
This chart display the percentage of Asian students in Colorado School of Trades and the percentage of Asian community college students in CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Hispanic
8%
23%
This chart display the percentage of Hispanic students in Colorado School of Trades and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Black
3%
5%
This chart display the percentage of Black students in Colorado School of Trades and the percentage of Black community college students in CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% White
43%
57%
This chart display the percentage of White students in Colorado School of Trades and the percentage of White community college students in CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Hawaiian
3%
1%
This chart display the percentage of Hawaiian students in Colorado School of Trades and the percentage of Hawaiian community college students in CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Two or more races
6%
4%
This chart display the percentage of Two or more races students in Colorado School of Trades and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Non Resident races
6%
2%
This chart display the percentage of Non Resident students in Colorado School of Trades and the percentage of Non Resident community college students in CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Unknown races
29%
4%
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Colorado School of Trades.
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in CO.
Diversity Score
0.72
0.62
This chart display the diversity score of Colorado School of Trades and the community college average diversity score of CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in less than 4 years)
77%
56%
This chart display completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of Colorado School of Trades and community college average completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in 4 years or more than 4 years)
n/a
2.68%
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)
$40,200
$33,300
This chart display average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Colorado School of Trades and community college average graduate earnings (10 Years) of CO by year, disaggregated by student subgroups with the latest 2012-13 school year data.

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid
46%
87%
This chart display the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in Colorado School of Trades and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates
$20,000
$11,000
This chart display median debt for students who have completed a certificate or degree in Colorado School of Trades and average median debt for community college students who have completed a certificate or degree in CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Median Debt for Dropouts
$4,750
$5,500
This chart display median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in Colorado School of Trades and average median debt for community college students who have not completed a certificate or degree in CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Acceptance Rate
86%
83%
This chart display the percent admitted of Colorado School of Trades and the community college average percent admitted of CO by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Source: 2021 (or latest year available) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

School Notes

  • Founded in 1947, the Colorado School of Trades (CST) has been a gunsmith training destination since its inception. Our school enjoys a worldwide reputation built on a nearly 70-year history and a long list of successful graduates recognized by top Gunsmith employers everywhere.The Colorado School of Trades has applied a system based on hands-on, project-oriented training geared to train individuals who wish to become artisan craftsmen. Our gunsmith classes offer a personal approach to training that allows a motivated student to enter the profession of Gunsmithing as an entry level general Gunsmith.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate of Colorado School of Trades?
The acceptance rate of Colorado School of Trades is 86%, which is higher than the state average of 83%.
What is Colorado School of Trades's ranking?
Colorado School of Trades ranks among the top 20% of community college in Colorado for: Diversity in US community colleges, Highest graduate earnings (10 years post graduation) and Highest completion rates.

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Quick Stats (2024)

  • Enrollment: 96 students
  • Acceptance Rate: 86%
  • Student:teacher ratio: 5:1
  • Minority enrollment: 57%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Related School Videos

Did You Know?

Jefferson County, CO community colleges have a diversity score of 0.60, which is lower than the national average of 0.70. The most diverse community college in Jefferson County, CO is Colorado School of Trades. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.

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