Community College of Denver (CCD) is a public two-year institution, but it does not operate from one downtown building. The college teaches at the shared Auraria campus, a health-sciences center in Lowry and a technical training center north of downtown. Choosing the right location matters as much as choosing a program: the health clinic and veterinary training are at Lowry, while machining and welding take place at the Advanced Manufacturing Center.
Who can apply, and what does admission mean?
CCD describes its general admission as open access: applicants age 17 and older are automatically accepted after submitting the free online application. Acceptance is not the same as registration in every class or admission to every major. Nursing, dental hygiene and other limited-capacity or licensed pathways may have prerequisites, placement steps, health documents, a separate application or a competitive selection process. Start with the official enrollment steps, then read the current catalog and the page for the specific program before paying for an exam or arranging a term.
Students under 17, international applicants, veterans, returning students and people seeking concurrent high-school enrollment follow different steps. CCD also has a pathway for DREAMers and undocumented students. Because residency classification, immigration status and age can affect tuition or aid without being the same as general admission, ask the relevant admissions or financial-aid office to review your individual situation. The college's public Educational Opportunity Center serves a six-county metro area and helps community members plan for college and complete admission and financial-aid applications.
Three locations with different purposes
Auraria is the main academic location at 1111 W Colfax Avenue, on a 150-acre campus shared by CCD, Metropolitan State University of Denver and the University of Colorado Denver. Library, health, recreation and student-union spaces are shared. Two RTD light-rail stations and many bus routes serve the grounds. CCD says students with a campus ID and an on-campus class schedule can obtain its RTD CollegePass; visitors can use short-term meters, lots and garages, with rates and access depending on the parking area.
Center for Health Sciences at Lowry, at 1070 Alton Way, concentrates health training. Its dental-hygiene program combines classroom and clinical work; the published associate degree requires 62 credits and has a separate application process. A teaching clinic at 1062 Akron Way accepts community patients by appointment, with student care supervised by faculty. Lowry also hosts veterinary technology training and a veterinary clinic, but CCD limits that clinic to current students and employees and does not accept walk-ins. Confirm which building and service apply before travelling.
Advanced Manufacturing Center is the hands-on site for machining and fabrication welding. It offers associate degrees, stackable certificates and noncredit training in skills such as CNC programming, Mastercam and wire EDM. The 33,280-square-foot center at 2570 31st Street is about four miles from Auraria. Courses and workshops are not all scheduled in the same way, so ask the department about the next start date, lab requirements and whether a short course has an open registration period.
Programs, credits and time to finish
CCD organizes study in pathways such as arts and communication, business, education, health sciences, manufacturing, public safety and legal services, STEM, and social and behavioral sciences. Students can pursue certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's programs offered through CCD, transfer preparation, noncredit workforce courses and adult education. The online catalog gives the authoritative program map; the campus itself does not tell you whether a course has seats or whether a clinical cohort is accepting applications.
For planning, CCD's cashier page uses a 30-credit annual pace—often 12 credits in fall, 12 in spring and six in summer—as one route to complete an associate degree in two years. Actual time depends on the degree map, developmental or prerequisite courses, transfer credit, work and family commitments, and whether required classes run each term. Some career certificates take fewer credits, while a licensing pathway such as dental hygiene includes prerequisites and clinical sequencing. Use the published credit total rather than assuming every certificate is a two-year program.
Tuition, the Colorado stipend and financial aid
For 2026–27, CCD lists standard on-campus Colorado-resident tuition at $299.75 per credit before the College Opportunity Fund (COF) stipend; the resident share after the listed $116-per-credit stipend is $183.75, before student fees. CCD's example for 30 credits across one year gives $6,819.10 for tuition and fees. This is a published planning example, not a universal price: student fees, program differentials, course format and residency change the bill. The current table lists online rates separately and warns that medical or high-cost classes, math and English courses, dental hygiene and nursing may carry different charges. Check the 2026–27 tuition page and the fee schedule before estimating a term.
Eligible students can complete the federal FAFSA; Colorado residents and students who use the state's ASSET pathway may have a CASFA route. The COF stipend is separate: students who qualify must create or authorize the fund so it can be applied to eligible credits. CCD's COF page explains the application and authorization steps. The college lists need-based grants, federal and state work-study, loans and scholarships. Its institutional scholarship application requires an eligible degree or certificate program, satisfactory academic progress and FAFSA; DACA, ASSET and undocumented students are directed to CASFA. The published scholarship deadline is April 16 for the upcoming academic year, so check the new cycle and documents each year rather than relying on an old application window.
Starting with English before credit classes
For adults who want to build English before taking college-credit courses, CCD's English Language Learning program offers six noncredit levels from beginner through advanced. A placement test helps identify the starting level. Its Year to Career option is for high-intermediate and advanced learners and currently pairs English development with subjects such as computer technology, nurse aide and medical terminology; an English placement test is required, and tuition assistance may be available to eligible learners. Contact Adult Education at 303-352-3150 or AdultEd@ccd.edu for current intake dates and eligibility.
English learning, college admission and program placement are separate steps. A learner may begin with noncredit language classes, then use advising and placement tools to identify a credit-bearing course or career pathway. Some programs require English or other prerequisites and have their own timelines. Ask the department whether English courses count toward the chosen credential, which assessment is needed and how long the transition is likely to take; CCD does not publish one timeline that fits every student.
A short checklist before applying
Choose a pathway and campus, then confirm the current catalog year, program prerequisites, credit total, application deadline and classroom location. Estimate tuition by residency and course type, include fees and books, complete FAFSA or CASFA if eligible, and authorize COF when appropriate. If English is your first step, take the placement test and contact Adult Education. For an in-person visit, use the official map and directions, check RTD service alerts or parking rules, and call the office that handles your question.
CCD began in 1967 and moved to Auraria in 1975; today it combines downtown transfer and student services with specialized health and manufacturing instruction elsewhere in Denver. That split is useful when it matches a student's goal, but it makes the address on a course listing essential. The best plan starts with a named credential, a confirmed campus and an itemized term estimate—not with the assumption that every CCD program is taught in the same place.
Check current details and choose according to your budget, time and way of travelling.
Options to compare
These options relate to the question. Read each profile and check current details before deciding.
Community College of Denver — Auraria Campus
1111 W Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80204
Auraria is Community College of Denver's principal teaching site, at 1111 W Colfax Avenue on the west side of downtown. The address belongs to a 150-acre higher-education campus shared with Metropolitan State University of Denver and the University of Colorado Denver. That arrangement gives CCD stud
CCD's main teaching location on the shared Auraria campus in downtown Denver.
Community College of Denver — Center for Health Sciences at Lowry
1070 Alton Way, Denver, CO 80230
The Center for Health Sciences at Lowry is CCD's health-programs location at 1070 Alton Way, in the Lowry area on the Denver–Aurora edge. The college moved its health sciences operation there in 1999, adapting former Air Force Base classrooms and a former dental clinic for teaching. The address is d
Health-programs location with a dental hygiene teaching clinic and veterinary technology training.
Community College of Denver — Advanced Manufacturing Center
2570 31st St, Denver, CO 80216
The Advanced Manufacturing Center, or AMC, is CCD's hands-on technical location at 2570 31st Street, about four miles north of the main Auraria campus. Opened in 2015, its 33,280-square-foot facility sits beside the Regency student-housing area in north Denver. It is a separate destination from the
Hands-on machining and welding degrees, stackable certificates and customized workforce training.
Sources & references
Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Auraria Campus ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Auraria Campus ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Auraria Campus ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Auraria Campus ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Auraria Campus ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Auraria Campus ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Center for Health Sciences at Lowry ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Center for Health Sciences at Lowry ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Center for Health Sciences at Lowry ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Center for Health Sciences at Lowry ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Center for Health Sciences at Lowry ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Center for Health Sciences at Lowry ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Advanced Manufacturing Center ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Advanced Manufacturing Center ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Advanced Manufacturing Center ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Advanced Manufacturing Center ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website of Community College of Denver — Advanced Manufacturing Center ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Community College of Denver Catalog · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Colorado Department of Higher Education · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Official website ↗
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Community College of Denver · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Community College of Denver Lowry listing ↗
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Google Maps · Accessed October 25, 2026
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Advanced Manufacturing Center exact listing ↗
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Google Maps · Accessed October 25, 2026
Exact location listing, dated rating/review snapshot and sampled public comments checked 2026-10-25.