Colorado vs New York: Scholarship Climate 2026
Which climate fits best? New York appears better suited to applicants prioritizing a larger pool of scholarship opportunities and a higher average award size. Colorado may fit applicants who want a smaller but still meaningful scholarship landscape, especially those aligned with its most active sponsoring organizations.
State A
Colorado
State B
New York
Quick comparison
| Metric | Colorado | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Active scholarships in catalog | 74 | 73 |
| Avg. award (where known) | $4,183 | $3,982 |
| Max indexed award | $64,000 | $50,000 |
Financial Aid Overview for 2026
For 2026, New York shows a larger scholarship opportunity pool than Colorado, with 103 listed grants compared with 84 in Colorado. New York also has the higher average award size at 5,016.84, while Colorado's average award size is 4073.2. At the top end, New York reaches a maximum listed award of 100000, versus 64000 in Colorado.
Colorado's strongest sponsoring organizations by grant count are Morgan Community College Foundation with 32 grants, Medical Group Management Association with 8, and National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association with 4. New York's leading organizations are United States Tennis Association with 8 grants, Katie DeCubellis Memorial Foundation with 3, and New York State Grange with 3. For applicants, that means New York currently looks broader in volume and somewhat stronger in average award value, while Colorado's market is more concentrated around a few active sponsors.
Applicants comparing these states should look beyond headline totals and focus on fit with the most active organizations in each market. A concentrated climate can still be attractive if your background aligns closely with the leading sponsors, while a larger market may offer more ways to apply across different programs.
Top Scholarship Providers in Colorado
Ranked by number of active scholarships
- 32 grants
- 8 grants
- 4 grants
- 3 grants
- 2 grants
Top Scholarship Providers in New York
Ranked by number of active scholarships
- 8 grants
- 3 grants
- 3 grants
- 2 grants
- 2 grants
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Scholarship climate by state
Colorado
Colorado feels more concentrated: there are 84 listed grants, an average award size of 4073.2, and activity is led most heavily by Morgan Community College Foundation. It may feel manageable for applicants with a strong match to the state's most active sponsors.
New York
New York feels broader and more competitive: there are 103 listed grants, a higher average award size of 5,016.84, and the leading sponsors are more distributed across organizations such as the United States Tennis Association, Katie DeCubellis Memorial Foundation, and New York State Grange.
Public reference data
Cost of living & wages
State-level affordability context to complement scholarship climate above - not ScholarshipTop grant totals.
Visual comparison
Median household income
Census ACSFair market rent (2BR)
HUD monthly estimateLiving wage
Single adult, MIT modelBLS median wage
State occupational estimateColorado
Median household income
$94,510
Census ACS
Fair market rent (2BR)
$1,321
HUD monthly estimate
Living wage
23.86/hr
Single adult, MIT model
BLS median wage
$59,800
State occupational estimate
Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 41.18 per 100k population. Public safety context is based on aggregate state-level public data - not a safety rating.
Public planning context
Community indicators vary by county and are included only as public planning context. Use this alongside scholarship amount, school cost, and living expenses - not as an eligibility rule.
CDC SVI band
middle indicator band
ADI band
lower indicator band
SVI counties
64
ADI counties
63
- CDC SVI county data is available for 64 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
- ADI block-group data is available across 63 counties; local conditions can vary within the same state.
New York
Median household income
$89,717
Census ACS
Fair market rent (2BR)
$1,332
HUD monthly estimate
Living wage
24.55/hr
Single adult, MIT model
BLS median wage
$59,670
State occupational estimate
Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 26.65 per 100k population. Public safety context is based on aggregate state-level public data - not a safety rating.
Public planning context
Community indicators vary by county and are included only as public planning context. Use this alongside scholarship amount, school cost, and living expenses - not as an eligibility rule.
CDC SVI band
middle indicator band
ADI band
middle indicator band
SVI counties
62
ADI counties
62
- CDC SVI county data is available for 62 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
- ADI block-group data is available across 62 counties; local conditions can vary within the same state.
Sources: Census ACS, HUD FMR, MIT Living Wage, BLS OEWS, and public reference datasets where available. Rent figures may reflect metro or state averages.
Public safety context uses aggregate public data and is included only as planning context.
Reference only - not ScholarshipTop eligibility rules or guarantees.
Data availability varies by school, city, state, and source year.
FAQ
Which state has more scholarship opportunities in 2026?
Which state has the higher average scholarship award?
What are the strongest organizations in Colorado for scholarship activity?
What are the strongest organizations in New York for scholarship activity?
Sources and official pages
Official and high-authority pages used to support this State vs State comparison.
- Federal Student Aid (U.S. Department of Education) - government reference
- College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education) - government reference
- NCES College Navigator - government reference
- Colorado and New York scholarship search reference - high-authority reference
More guides around this State vs State comparison
Internal reading paths around scholarship search, application strategy, and essay preparation for students comparing Colorado and New York.
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