Best RN Programs in Colorado for 2026

Colorado Christian University offers a CCNE-accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing through its College of Adult and Graduate Studies in Lakewood. The program is designed for pre-licensure students pursuing their first RN credential. It runs 120 credit hours total, with 60 hours in the nursing major core, completed over two years (six semesters) of predominantly in-seat coursework at CCU's Lakewood campus. Full-time students take up to three courses at a time in eight- to sixteen-week terms. Clinical placements are arranged near students' homes where possible, though travel is not guaranteed to be avoidable. CCU accepts applications twice yearly, with an August start (deadline May 1) and a January start (deadline September 1).

Admission is selective within its own criteria: applicants need a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, a 3.0 in science prerequisites, completion of all 21 biology science prerequisite hours before applying, and a passing ATI TEAS score (overall benchmark of 68%). CCU's graduation rate sits at 64%, and tuition is $27,631 regardless of residency. With a Hakia Score of 82.8, it ranks first among Colorado BSN programs in this index. The program fits students who want a structured, values-driven nursing education and can commit to a campus-based schedule in the Denver metro area.

The curriculum blends theory, lab simulation, and direct clinical practice. Juniors attend campus three to four days per week; seniors one day per week, with the remainder in clinical rotations. Clinical shifts can be day, evening, or night, so schedule flexibility is a real requirement. CCU's generous transfer credit policies can reduce time in prerequisites, though no nursing core courses can be transferred in. The CCNE accreditation means the degree meets the national standard required by most employers and graduate programs.

Regis University's Loretto Heights School of Nursing in Denver offers three distinct BSN pathways. The Traditional BSN targets recent high school graduates or first-degree seekers; students admitted to the pre-nursing track receive guaranteed priority admission into the BSN portion without a separate application, provided they meet defined requirements. The Accelerated BSN is built for applicants who already hold a non-nursing bachelor's degree and want a faster path to licensure. The CHOICE BSN is designed for current healthcare workers who need scheduling flexibility to balance work and clinical coursework. All three pathways lead to the same BSN credential from Regis.

Admission is broad: Regis accepts 86% of applicants, making it one of the more accessible BSN programs in Colorado. The graduation rate is 61%, and tuition runs $23,700 per year with no in-state/out-of-state differential. Enrollment sits at 4,605 students university-wide. Regis holds a Hakia Score of 77.6, ranking it second among Colorado programs in this index. The broad admit rate and multiple pathway options make it well-suited for non-traditional students, career changers with prior degrees, and working adults who cannot step away from employment during school.

The program's stated emphasis is on whole-person patient care, ethics, and social justice in healthcare contexts. Students are expected to engage with nursing science alongside values-based and community-oriented coursework. The pathway structure means students do not have to choose one standard format and hope it fits their background. Registered nurses seeking to understand NCLEX preparation expectations should review the specific pathway requirements, as program pacing and clinical sequencing differ across the three tracks.

The University of Colorado College of Nursing at the Anschutz Medical Campus offers five BSN pathways. The Traditional Pathway is a full-time, 24-month program combining classroom, simulation, and direct patient care clinicals, open to students with or without a prior degree. The Integrated Nursing Pathway (INP) partners with Community College of Aurora, Community College of Denver, and Red Rocks Community College for simultaneous admission, serving Colorado residents completing prerequisites in the community college system. The UCAN Accelerated Pathway compresses the same credit and clinical hours as the traditional route into 12 months for students who already hold a non-nursing bachelor's degree. The Fort Lewis College Collaborative brings CU Nursing to a rural, Indigenous-serving campus in Southwest Colorado as a four-year undergraduate program. A CU Denver Bridge Pathway allows CU Denver students to complete prerequisites on the Denver campus before transitioning to Anschutz for the BSN. The school reports U.S. News rankings among the top nursing programs in 2024 and 2025, attributed to that source.

In-state tuition is $9,360, compared to $28,368 out-of-state, a gap that makes residency the single biggest cost variable for Colorado students. The graduation rate is 46%, and the admit rate is 75%. The program's own catalog describes admission to the BSN as highly competitive, with applications processed through NursingCAS and definitive criteria applied uniformly. The university's enrollment of 23,124 reflects the full campus. Hakia Score is 76.7, third among Colorado programs in this index. The cost advantage at in-state rates and the breadth of pathway options make this the strongest public option for Colorado residents who qualify.

All five pathways share the same core outcome: preparing generalist nurses at the baccalaureate level to provide evidence-based, relationship-centered patient care. Students at Anschutz work alongside pharmacy, dentistry, medicine, and public health students, reflecting the interprofessional structure of a medical campus. The 12-month UCAN track is the sharpest accelerated option available at a Colorado public institution. Prospective students should note that CCNE accreditation status should be verified directly with the college, as the scraped catalog page does not explicitly state current accreditation standing.

Denver College of Nursing offers a BSN completion program structured around students who have already satisfied prerequisite coursework at another accredited institution. The program runs seven quarters of nursing-specific courses spanning 21 months of full-time study, totaling 100 quarter credits of nursing and general education content on top of 80 transferred general education credits. Applicants without a prior bachelor's degree must show at least 56 semester credits of post-secondary work, including 40 science-focused prerequisite hours with a minimum C grade and a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Applicants who already hold a bachelor's degree in any field need only 21 semester credits of specified science prerequisites. The curriculum covers pathophysiology, pharmacology, medical-surgical nursing (two terms), pediatric and obstetrical nursing, mental health, community health, leadership, and a senior capstone. Graduates are prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN.

Tuition is $18,427 per year with no in-state/out-of-state split, and the program is listed as available online. Enrollment is 811 students, making it the smallest institution in this ranking group. No graduation rate figure is available in the data provided. The Hakia Score is 74.1, fourth among the programs ranked here. The program's structure is purpose-built for professionals making a career change or for students who built up post-secondary credits elsewhere and want a focused nursing curriculum without repeating general education work.

The quarterly course schedule is published in full detail on the program page: clinical components appear in foundations (Quarter 2), medical-surgical (Quarters 3 and 4), pediatrics and obstetrics (Quarter 5), and community health (Quarter 6), with a capstone integrative seminar in Quarter 7. At least 75% of DCN program courses must be completed at Denver College of Nursing. Students researching how this degree fits into the broader nursing job market can reference BLS data on registered nurses, which shows a national median wage of $97,550 per year across all RN employers and settings.

Trinidad State College's RN-to-BSN is a fully online completion program built exclusively for working RNs. It runs 120 total credits across four semesters, with three start dates per year (fall, spring, or summer). The program accepts up to 89.5 transfer credits from an ADN or diploma program, meaning most of the BSN coursework is already behind you. A Dual Enrollment track also lets students finish their ADN and BSN concurrently. Coursework covers evidence-based practice, leadership and ethics, and community health nursing, with 22.5 practicum hours in Leadership and 45 in Community Health, both completed in the student's own community. The program is CCNE-accredited.

The Hakia Score of 73 reflects a 55% graduation rate, which is worth naming plainly: this program draws working nurses juggling jobs and families, and not every enrollee finishes on schedule. For the right student, though, the economics are hard to beat. In-state tuition runs $175 per credit hour after the Colorado Opportunity Fund stipend. Out-of-state students pay $292 per credit hour for NUR 300- and 400-level courses, identical to the in-state base rate before the COF reduction, making it one of the most affordable online RN-to-BSN options nationally for non-Colorado nurses. Every student is assigned a personal nursing coach, a structural support most community college programs do not offer.

Registered nurses working full-time who need scheduling flexibility and low cost will find this program purpose-built for their situation. The tradeoff is a modest graduation rate. Students who finish strong tend to be self-directed and already embedded in a clinical workplace that keeps them engaged with the material.

The University of Northern Colorado's School of Nursing offers four routes to a BSN: the Traditional BSN for incoming students and transfers, a Second-Degree BSN for applicants who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field, an RN-to-BSN for licensed nurses with an ADN, and a Dual Enrollment option that lets ADN students earn the BSN as few as two terms after finishing their associate degree. The Traditional BSN is a nine-semester program; the Second-Degree BSN compresses to 20 months across five consecutive semesters and starts each summer. Classes for the second-degree track run primarily on the Greeley campus with some coursework at UNC's Loveland Center at Centerra. The BSN, MSN, DNP, and post-graduate APRN programs are accredited by CCNE, per the program page.

Admission to the clinical nursing major is competitive and separate from general UNC admission. The university admits 86% of applicants overall, but clinical program acceptance depends on eligibility and available resources, not just completing prerequisites. UNC's in-state tuition is $9,047 per year, while out-of-state students pay $24,125, a gap that makes residency a meaningful financial variable. The Hakia Score of 72.7 and a 51% graduation rate indicate a program where a meaningful share of students do not complete on time, partly a function of the competitive clinical admission process filtering and redirecting students mid-program.

UNC fits students who want a campus-based experience with clear specialization pathways and the option to ladder into a graduate program later. Career changers with a prior degree should look closely at the Second-Degree track. Out-of-state applicants should run the tuition numbers carefully: $24,125 per year is on par with many private institutions. BLS data pegs the national median for registered nurses at $97,550 per year, context that applies equally regardless of which BSN program a nurse graduates from.

Colorado Mesa University's BSN program offers a Traditional BSN track designed for students with no prior nursing license. The program prepares graduates to sit for the NCLEX-RN and enter practice as a generalist professional nurse across hospital, long-term care, home health, community health, school, clinic, and mental health settings. The program integrates nursing theory, science, and practice with a liberal arts foundation. CMU also offers an RN-to-BSN pathway, and the baccalaureate, master's, and DNP programs are accredited by CCNE, as stated on the program page. The program page cites employer feedback that CMU graduates are among the best-prepared in the state, though that claim is attributed to employers rather than any third-party ranking body.

CMU carries a Hakia Score of 70.2. The 41% graduation rate is the most significant data point here and deserves direct attention: fewer than half of enrolled students complete the program, which reflects the selectivity of the clinical admission process and the rigor of a program that places students in 900-plus clinical hours. The admit rate of 82% at the university level does not translate to easy entry into the nursing major itself. In-state tuition is $8,807 per year; out-of-state tuition climbs to $24,004, a difference of more than $15,000 annually.

CMU is a reasonable choice for Colorado residents who want substantial clinical exposure in a campus-based setting and can manage the academic demands that the graduation rate signals. Out-of-state applicants face a steep cost premium relative to in-state peers. Students should enter with a realistic plan for the pre-clinical coursework and treat clinical admission as a separate, competitive hurdle.

Front Range Community College runs one of the most program-rich nursing departments in Colorado. For students new to nursing, FRCC offers a Practical Nursing Certificate (three semesters, NCLEX-PN eligible) and an AAS in Nursing (four semesters, 71.5 credits, NCLEX-RN eligible) at both Larimer and Westminster campuses. An LPN-to-ADN completion path is available for licensed practical nurses with at least six months of full-time work experience. For RNs seeking a bachelor's degree, FRCC offers a fully online RN-to-BSN Completion Program: 120 credits, four full-time semesters, with in-person practicums completed near the student's home or workplace. A dual enrollment option lets current ADN students begin BSN coursework simultaneously.

The 2024 NCLEX-RN pass rate for the AAS program was 98.65%, cited by FRCC as sourced from the Colorado State Board of Nursing, and the 2024 on-time completion rate for that program was 85%. The RN-to-BSN program reported 100% employment among 2024 graduates and a 94% graduate satisfaction rate for preparedness. These are program-level outcomes, not university-wide figures. The institution-level Hakia Score is 69.3, reflecting a 35% overall graduation rate across the college, a figure shaped by FRCC's open-access mission and large enrollment of 21,970 students rather than nursing program outcomes specifically. In-state tuition is $4,058 per year; out-of-state tuition is $16,658.

FRCC is the strongest cost-access option on this list for Colorado residents. The NCLEX pass rate for the AAS program is the highest published figure among any program in this group. Students who complete the ADN at FRCC can roll directly into the RN-to-BSN online program without leaving the institution, creating a clear and affordable path from new student to BSN-prepared nurse. The tradeoff is a commuter college environment without the campus resources of a four-year university.

The Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences at UCCS offers a traditional four-year BSN designed for students entering nursing with or without a prior degree. The program runs across on-campus, online, and hybrid formats and totals 127 credits. There is no accelerated BSN or RN-to-BSN track listed on the program page; the single pre-licensure pathway is the traditional option, with clinical seat applications accepted in two windows per year (fall and spring).

Admission is broadly accessible at a 97% accept rate, but entry into the clinical nursing portion is genuinely selective: applicants must hold a 3.0 or higher GPA in prerequisite coursework, pass the ATI TEAS exam, and clear a background check and drug screen before a seat is awarded. In-state tuition runs $9,022 per year versus $23,155 out of state, making residency a significant factor in total cost. The program posts a 47% graduation rate and earns a Hakia Score of 69.1, placing it ninth among Colorado BSN programs in this ranking. It fits students who need scheduling flexibility, can meet the prerequisite GPA bar, and want a public university price point without relocating.

Registered nurses nationally earn a median wage of $97,550 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. That figure reflects the field broadly and is not specific to any one school's graduates.

Morgan Community College in Fort Morgan, Colorado offers an RN-to-BSN completion program built exclusively for working registered nurses. The program is fully online with no set class times, runs in seven-week course blocks, and can be finished in three to five semesters depending on transfer credits. Three start dates per year let students begin when it fits their schedule. The program page states CCNE accreditation through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Cost is the program's defining feature. In-state tuition sits at $4,058 per year, and the school reports that after applying the Colorado Opportunity Fund stipend and an institutional scholarship funded by the Williams Family Foundation, total NUR coursework costs approximately $6,100, compared to $470 per credit hour at competing regional programs. Out-of-state tuition is $16,658. The program carries a 45% graduation rate and earns a Hakia Score of 66.5, ranking tenth in Colorado. It fits credentialed RNs who need an affordable, schedule-flexible path to a BSN and whose employers may offset remaining costs through tuition reimbursement.

The BLS national wage data puts the median annual wage for registered nurses at $97,550. BSN completion programs like this one are positioned to expand career eligibility for promotions and leadership roles, though individual outcomes depend on employer and market factors beyond any single program.