Pikes Peak State College (formerly Pikes Peak Community College) is a public state college founded in 1968 as El Paso Community College, serving Colorado Springs and the surrounding Pikes Peak region. Renamed Pikes Peak State College in 2022, the college serves approximately 12,500 students across multiple campuses in Colorado Springs, Woodland Park, and online. The college's beloved mascot, Arnie the Aardvark, has been the official symbol since 1970 — chosen by students who picked the aardvark because it comes first in the dictionary, and black and blue because those are the colors they expected to earn on the sports fields. Pikes Peak State College offers associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and certificates across healthcare, technology, business, and liberal arts, with strong articulation agreements with Colorado four-year universities. The college's International Student Program welcomes learners from around the world to study in the shadow of Pikes Peak, one of America's most iconic mountains.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
—
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$$15,403
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $17,110
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
