Best Nursing Schools in Colorado | Requirements, Cost, Programs

Nursing is one of the important professions in the state of Colorado as far as the healthcare sector is concerned. That’s why Colorado is one of the states in the USA where you can get the best Nursing Schools.

Normally, you can become a registered nurse through training. However, many employers now prefer nurses with Bachelors or other higher degrees. Since only a few nurses have this qualification, there is a shortage of qualified nurses to meet up the continuous demand in the healthcare sector.

So, nurses with degree qualifications will always be in high demand. Check this out; the American Association of College Nurse’s forecast shows that over 1.05 million job openings will be available for Registered Nurses (RNs) by 2024.

You need to attend a good nursing school to be better positioned to fill in this space and Colorado is the best place to get the best nursing education.

So, in this post, we’ll show you the best Nursing schools in Colorado to get a Nursing degree alongside their requirements and cost.

Glance through the table of contents beow to get an overview of all the questions answered in this article.

Why choose a Nursing Schools in Colorado?

Colorado is one of the top-rated states in the USA for nurses. With a degree from any of the nursing schools in Colorado, you can practice in any state.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report shows that there will be close to 13,000 job opportunities for nurses by 2024. This means graduates with degrees in nursing will get job easily.

Apart from the U.S Service report, there is a wide scope of job opportunities because the state has a high aging population which requires care.

Nurses in Colorado earn higher hourly more than most states. In addition, students have a wide array of program options available in the schools.

Interestingly, students who are studying in Colorado get a $75 per credit stipend. This stipend comes through the College Opportunity Fund provided by the state.

Furthermore, most top Nursing schools in Colorado offer their students financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships, and other awards to help students studying in the state.

If you want to study in Ontario, here are the Best Nursing Schools in Ontario

What are the Nursing Schools in Colorado Requirements Programs?

The requirements in any of the registered nursing schools in Colorado depends largely on the program the student wants to go for.

For instance, for an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN), you must have at least a 2.5 GPA, proficient scores in TEAS, and official transcripts from your previous schools.

Students for undergraduate programs must come with a signed acceptance letter alongside official transcripts.

Meanwhile, apart from the official transcripts, master’s students must have a GPA of 3.0 or above. And also, submit a professional portfolio and resume.

What is the cost of studying in Nursing School in Colorado?

It’s a truism that getting a nursing qualification is expensive. However, when you compare the cost to what you will earn in the future, it’s a big investment worth embarking on.

Basically, Nursing programs in Colorado’s tuition costs vary from school to school. For instance, the tuition cost of the ADN program at Lamar Community College is about $161 per credit hour in a 70-hour program over 4 semesters.

Undergraduate program tuition cost in some schools like the University of Colorado is about $410-$500 per credit hour for in-state residents.

Meanwhile, the University of Colorado at Denver’s MSN program costs students about $600 per credit hour and does not include additional fees.

Note, the cost doesn’t include other expenses such as textbooks and materials, lab costs, clinical equipment, or uniform costs since graduate students are expected to have most of these items as practicing nurses.

How Much can I make with a Nursing School Degree?

Just like the cost of getting a degree in nursing differs so also is the salary. Your earnings as a nurse depend on the years of experience, the degree, and the city you are working in.

According to indeed.com, a nurse in Colorado with 1-5 years working experience earns like $29.05-$30.49 per hour while a nurse with 6 to 15 years experience makes like $32-$35.32 per hour.

Generally, an average Registered Nurse with any of the Nursing School Programs in Colorado makes about $72,570. This is close to the national average for RN’s. 

Are there Accredited nursing schools in Colorado?

There are accredited nursing schools in Colorado that offer quality nursing programs.

Basically, there are over 20 approved nursing schools located in all the different cities of Colorado. These schools offer students high-quality training.

Note, with a degree from any of the aforementioned accredited schools, you can become a nursing assistant, a licensed practical nurse, or a registered nurse. You can even specialize in any of the following fields: nurse anesthetist, nurse-midwife, or nurse practitioner.

You can also check out the Best Nursing Schools In Arizona, their Requirements, Cost, and Programs

What are the Best Nursing School in Colorado?

Next thing is to do is to make a choice. Doing this won’t be an easy task at all because you are looking at a long list.

To help save you the stress, we have made a list of the top nursing schools in Colorado. We ranked these schools based on their ability to educate highly competent nurses.

Ranking Methodology

In our ranking, we considered the following factors:

This is the main factor we considered in our ranking. Here the performance of the students in the exams is important. Nursing schools with high pass rates are highly ranked above others.

This is another factor we considered. The number of degree programs offered by the nursing schools was carefully examined.

The lower the acceptance rate, the lesser the faculty to student ratio. This means students will get more attention from faculty members. In this ranking, schools with lower acceptance rates are highly ranked over other best nursing schools in Colorado.

It will be useless to attend a school that is not accredited or approved by any recognized body. So, we considered only the nursing schools in Colorado that offer accredited programs.

Here is our list of the best Nursing Schools in Colorado:

#1. Pikes Peak Community College

Address: 5675 S Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs

Pikes Peak Community College is the largest college in the Pikes Peak region. The College offers over 158 associate degrees and a wide variety of career certificates. It an enrollment of 4,916 undergraduate students.

The college’s school of nursing is one of the top nursing schools in Colorado Springs because of the level of competent graduates.

Basically, the school offers a registered nursing program and a dual enrollment RN to BSN program.  

Registered Nursing students who enroll for the dual enrollment program can take classes towards their BSN while working towards their ADN.

Through this, they can get their ADN and still have credits for their BSN after completion of the program.

Considering the high NCLEX pass rate of 96%, %100 acceptance rate, and other factors, we are ranking this school #2 in our list of top accredited nursing schools in Colorado.

Note, the Pikes Peak Community College nursing school is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

#2. Arapahoe Community College

Address: 5900 S. Santa Fe Dr., Littleton.

If you want to make a lasting impact as a Nurse in the healthcare industry, you can start by taking a program at the Arapahoe Community College.

Arapahoe Community College is a college with small class sizes located in Littleton, Colorado. The College offers an LPN, ADN, and an LPN to ADN program.  

Basically, the nursing program at this school has two tracks, a traditional track and an LPN to ADN track for students who have already earned their Practical Nursing certificate.

Students can also pursue a BSN program after completion of the ADN program easily. This is because of their partnerships with three neighboring universities.

Interestingly, graduates from this school are easily hired because of the training they received as students. And to a degree, students must complete a minimum of 25% of the credits.

Considering the high NCLEX pass rate of 96%, %100 acceptance rate, and other factors, we are ranking this school #2 in our list of top accredited nursing schools in Colorado.

Note, the Arapahoe Community College nursing school is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

In case you want to study in Oregon, there are still Nursing Schools in Oregon that are good.

#3. Colorado Mesa University

Address: 1100 North Avenue Grand Junction

Established in 1925, Colorado Mesa University is a public four-year college. The college is known as one of the prestigious university in Colorado. It has a faculty to student ration fo 22:1 which is good.

This university’s nursing school is one of the top nursing schools in Colorado because of its unique features.

Students applying to this school have the chance of pursuing ADN, BSN, MSN, and a Family Nurse Practitioner DNP program.

Going for any of these programs equips you with well-rounded nursing education.

The school has a NCLEX-RN pass rate of 95.6%, 91% acceptance and accreditation from one of the best accrediting body.

For these reasons, we have decided to rank the school as #3. best nursing schools in Colorado.

#5. Regis University

Address: 3333 Regis Boulevard Denver, Colorado 

The Loretto Heights School of Nursing at Regis University tops the list of best nursing schools in Colorado. It offers a nursing degree to over 476 students.

Basically, the school offers a wide variety of undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate nursing programs. Students who want to earn a BSN can go for the four tracks offered by the school. The four-track BSN is a four-year, 128 credit hour program.

Moreso, there are RN to MSN programs available for Master’s students. To apply, you must have at least 2.5 GPA.

It has an NCLEX pass rate of 95% and an acceptance rate of 100. And according to the American Society of Registered Nurses, the university is ranked #25 on the list of Top 75 Nursing Schools in the West.

Furthermore, the programs at this School of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Considering all these factors, we have decided to rank the school #5. top accredited nursing schools in Colorado.

#6. Front Range Community College – Larimer Campus

Front Range Community College is one of the largest community colleges in Colorado. It has four campuses with more than 30,000 students.

The nursing school located at Larimer campus offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in nursing with several options. They also offer programs that can help students become an LPN or RN.

At this school, students can easily transfer to any of the top Universities in Colorado for a BSN program.

Moreso, this approved nursing school offers a curriculum designed to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving health care delivery system.

The Larimer campus NCLEX-RN passing rate is 95% which is the has the highest of all four campuses. The programs at this School of Nursing are accredited by the ACNE.

Furthermore, you must meet the minimum admission requirements before you can apply. Considering all these factors, we have decided to rank the school #6. best accredited nursing schools in Colorado.

#7. Metropolitan State University – Denver

This is one of the four-year public university in Colorado that offers a quality academic activities at an affordable cost.

The University has a 19:1 student to faculty ratio, which is impressive for a public college.

This university’s school of Nursing offers three-degree plans: Accelerated, Traditional, and the BRNCO/Dual Enrollment (RN-BSN). 

Going for any of these programs can help that prepares you for success in today’s health-care industry. This is because they cover both science and evidence-based practices.

This approved nursing school in Colorado has a high NCLEX-RN pass rate of 95%. Also, it’s accredited by NLNAC – National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

Considering all these factors, we have decided to rank the school #7. best accredited nursing schools in Colorado.

#8.  The University of Northern Colorado

The University of Northern Colorado is a public four-year university with over 12,000 students. The university offers different degree programs to both citizens and international students.

This university’s nursing school offers you everything you need to become an RN. With the skills and experience you will get, you can easily earn your license and even excel in the profession.

BSN degree at this school comes with the following special training: adult health, obstetrical, pediatric, public health, and mental health.

Additionally, The degree program offers you a broad range of clinical experiences, culminating in a 225-hour practicum that’s tailored to your academic goals.

Students with an associate degree in nursing are eligible to apply for admission to the on-line baccalaureate program in nursing at the school. 

Interestingly, graduates here earn excellent scores on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), with first-time pass rates ranging between 95 and 100 percent. It also has an acceptance rate of 50% which is fairly good.

For these reasons, we have decided to rank the school as #8 best accredited nursing schools in Colorado.

See Also, Best Nursing Schools in Georgia | 2024 Programs, Requirements, Cost, Job Outlook

#9. University of Colorado College of Nursing

Address: Mail Stop C288 13120 East 19th Avenue Aurora,United States.

The University of Colorado College of Nursing was founded in 1920. Every year over 1000 students for nursing programs in the school.

Basically, this top nursing school in Colorado offers various nursing degree programs. These programs are designed for the category of nurse aspirants like the pediatric nurse practitioner, nursing-midwifery, and family nursing specialties.

The BSN program accredited by CCNE offers four tracks: a traditional track, an accelerated track, an online RN-to-BSN track, and an integrated program in conjunction with several community colleges.

However, the school has an NCLEX-RN Pass Rate 93.5% and an acceptance rate of 51% which is higher than other schools in the state.

For these reasons, we have decided to rank the school as #9. best accredited nursing schools in Colorado.

#10. Colorado Mountain University

Address: 1560 Broadway, Suite 1350, Denver, Colorado

Colorado Mountain College is a community college in Colorado that has over 20,000 students. It is renowned for its outstanding performance and outcomes.

Colorado Mountain College’s nursing school offers both ADN and online RN to BSN program. The ADN program focuses on experiential learning with clinical experience in various healthcare settings. While their online programs are designed in a way that students can earn BSN degrees at their convenience.

Going for any of the Colorado Mountain College programs will help broaden your knowledge with greater emphasis on nursing theory, community health, population-focused care, research, and evidence-based practices and leadership.

However, the school has an NCLEX-RN Pass Rate of 87% which is higher than other schools in the state.

For these reasons, we have decided to rank the school as #10. best accredited nursing schools in Colorado.

Best Nursing Schools in Colorado FAQs

There are over 25 Nursing schools in Colorado

Each school or program must be accredited by either the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Here is our list of the best Nursing Schools in Colorado:

Pikes Peak Community College
Arapahoe Community College
Regis University
Front Range Community College – Larimer Campus
Metropolitan State University of Denver
University of Northern Colorado
the University of Colorado College of Nursing
University of Colorado – Colorado Springs
Pueblo Community College
Colorado State University-Pueblo

Most Nursing schools in Colorado require an average GPA of 2.5.

Reference

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