Colorado School of Mines has been ranked as the best college in Colorado by College Choice. a publication dedicated to helping students and families find the right college. The rankings were developed based on the return on investment as well as institutional excellence, which included reputation, affordability and student retention.

College Choice noted that Mines has a curriculum and research program focused on "balancing available resources while maintaining responsible stewardship of the earth and available resources." It also mentions the "legendary" E-Days fireworks show. Data for the rankings comes from individual college websites, Payscale, the Colorado Department of Higher Education, U.S. News & World Report and The National Center for Education Statistics.