Energy-level diagrams for a number of five-coordinate high-spin chromophores of cobalt(II) are reported. The chromophores belong to the point groups C4v, C3v, and C2v. The calculations have been performed using the ligand-field approach neglecting spin–orbit coupling. An evalution of the calculated energy levels is made by comparing them to the d–d spectra of two cobalt complexes with square pyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal stereochemistry. The agreement is satisfactory.