Colorado Nursing Programs

Top Nursing Schools in
Colorado — 2026

Compare the best BSN, MSN, ADN, and RN programs in Colorado. Tuition costs, NCLEX pass rates, accreditation, and unique program highlights for prospective nursing students.

7 programs listed BSN · ADN · LPN · MSN Colorado State Board of Nursing Nurse Licensure Compact member

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Nursing Programs in Colorado

BSN · On-Campus
University of Colorado Denver
BSN Program — Denver

CU's College of Nursing on the Anschutz Medical Campus offers students unparalleled access to University of Colorado Hospital, a Level I trauma center, and Children's Hospital Colorado.

$14,200/yearAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
93%NCLEX Pass
BSN · On-Campus
Colorado State University
BSN Program — Fort Collins

CSU's nursing program emphasizes community and public health nursing, reflecting northern Colorado's diverse health needs. Students rotate through Poudre Valley Hospital and Banner Fort Collins.

$13,500/yearAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
91%NCLEX Pass
BSN · On-Campus
University of Colorado Anschutz
BSN Program — Aurora

Located on major medical campus; exceptional clinical partnerships

$30,000/yrAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
93%NCLEX Pass
BSN · On-Campus
Colorado State University
BSN – Traditional — Fort Collins

Strong research emphasis; rural health and community health focus

$18,000/yrAvg Cost
4 yearsLength
91%NCLEX Pass
ADN · On-Campus
Community College of Denver
ADN Program — Denver

Affordable urban ADN with diverse patient population clinical experiences

$7,500 totalAvg Cost
2 yearsLength
88%NCLEX Pass
LPN · On-Campus
Pueblo Community College
Practical Nursing Certificate — Pueblo

Fast-track LPN for career changers; strong employer ties in southern Colorado

$6,200 totalAvg Cost
11 monthsLength
86%NCLEX Pass
MSN · Hybrid
Regis University
MSN – Nurse Practitioner — Denver

Jesuit university with strong ethics focus; Family NP and Psychiatric NP tracks

$25,000/yrAvg Cost
2 yearsLength
N/ANCLEX Pass

About Nursing Programs in Colorado

Colorado pairs a fast-growing population with a strong healthcare economy concentrated along the Front Range, where UCHealth, Children's Hospital Colorado, and CommonSpirit anchor the Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs markets. Demand also runs steady in mountain and rural communities, where access to care is a persistent priority.

Students can pursue affordable community-college ADN programs, BSN degrees at public universities such as the University of Colorado and Colorado State along with private institutions, accelerated second-degree options, and RN-to-BSN bridges plus MSN tracks for nurse practitioners, educators, and leaders. The community-college route is a popular, economical way to enter nursing in Colorado.

Licensure is handled by the Colorado State Board of Nursing, under the Department of Regulatory Agencies. Colorado is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so an RN or LPN license issued to a Colorado resident is a multistate license valid across all compact states — a useful advantage for travel nurses and those serving the Mountain West.

Licensing authority: Colorado State Board of Nursing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Colorado is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact. If Colorado is your primary state of residence, your RN or LPN license is a multistate license valid across all compact states.
Complete a Colorado State Board of Nursing-approved ADN or BSN program, pass the NCLEX-RN, and apply for licensure through the board under the Department of Regulatory Agencies.
The Front Range corridor from Fort Collins through Denver to Colorado Springs concentrates the largest systems, while mountain and rural areas have ongoing demand tied to access-to-care challenges.
Both qualify you for the NCLEX-RN. A community-college ADN is an affordable entry point, while a BSN is preferred at Magnet hospitals and for advancement.
About two years for an ADN and four for a BSN, with accelerated BSN options finishing in roughly 12 to 18 months for second-degree students.
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