Best Nursing Schools in Colorado (2026): Rankings and Reviews

Colorado has strong demand for nurses, from Denver’s big hospital systems to rural mountain communities, and a mix of universities, private colleges and community colleges offering BSN degrees. This guide ranks Colorado BSN programmes using official federal data and reviews the top five.

Imagine wanting to nurse in the Rockies but not knowing where to start: a big public university, a private Catholic college in Denver, or an affordable community college BSN. Comparing graduation rates, graduate earnings and tuition side by side makes the choice much clearer.

How we ranked these schools

We used the latest official data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard. We included colleges in Colorado that award a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN), and ranked those producing at least 20 BSN graduates a year by their graduation rate. We also show how much their nursing graduates earn and what tuition costs. Graduation rates are for each college as a whole, not nursing students alone.

Colorado nursing schools ranked (2026)

Rank	College	City	Type	Graduation rate	BSN graduates a year	BSN graduates’ median earnings (1 year)	In-state tuition
1	Colorado Christian University	Lakewood	Private nonprofit	67%	81	$76,508	$42,758
2	Regis University	Denver	Private nonprofit	58%	253	$81,679	$47,840
3	University of Northern Colorado	Greeley	Public	50%	146	$78,689	$12,882
4	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus	Denver	Public	47%	274	$78,831	$10,835
5	University of Colorado Colorado Springs	Colorado Springs	Public	46%	167	$78,698	$10,345
6	Colorado Mesa University	Grand Junction	Public	42%	145	$79,529	$10,257
7	Colorado State University Pueblo	Pueblo	Public	41%	120	$76,750	$10,099
8	Front Range Community College	Westminster	Public	34%	31	n/a	$4,668
9	Metropolitan State University of Denver	Denver	Public	32%	84	$81,813	$11,540
10	Pikes Peak State College	Colorado Springs	Public	22%	58	$75,859	$4,662

Also offering a BSN in Colorado (not ranked: either a comparable graduation rate isn’t reported, often because they mainly enrol transfer, upper-division or adult students, or they’re for-profit career colleges whose college-wide rates aren’t comparable with universities):

College	City	Type	Graduation rate	BSN graduates a year	BSN graduates’ median earnings (1 year)	In-state tuition
Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs	Colorado Springs	Private for-profit	19%	177	$109,697	$12,752
Denver College of Nursing	Denver	Private for-profit	n/a	402	$81,121	n/a

Top Colorado nursing schools reviewed

1. Colorado Christian University

A private Christian university in Lakewood, near Denver, with the highest graduation rate on our Colorado list. Tuition is on the higher side, so compare your net cost after aid.

• Graduation rate: 67%, number 1 in Colorado on our list
• Programme size: about 81 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year
• Early earnings: nursing graduates earned a median of $76,508 one year after graduating
• Cost: $42,758 tuition a year before financial aid

2. Regis University

Regis University’s Loretto Heights School of Nursing in Denver is one of the largest private nursing programmes in Colorado, with options for career-changers as well as first-time students.

• Graduation rate: 58%, number 2 in Colorado on our list
• Programme size: about 253 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year
• Early earnings: nursing graduates earned a median of $81,679 one year after graduating
• Cost: $47,840 tuition a year before financial aid
• Acceptance rate: 86%

3. University of Northern Colorado

UNC in Greeley offers a well-established BSN at moderate public tuition, with solid early earnings for graduates.

• Graduation rate: 50%, number 3 in Colorado on our list
• Programme size: about 146 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year
• Early earnings: nursing graduates earned a median of $78,689 one year after graduating
• Cost: $12,882 in-state tuition ($28,370 out of state)
• Acceptance rate: 86%

4. University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

The University of Colorado College of Nursing is based on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, one of the largest academic health campuses in the region, giving students access to major teaching hospitals.

• Graduation rate: 47%, number 4 in Colorado on our list
• Programme size: about 274 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year
• Early earnings: nursing graduates earned a median of $78,831 one year after graduating
• Cost: $10,835 in-state tuition ($30,179 out of state)
• Acceptance rate: 75%

5. University of Colorado Colorado Springs

UCCS’s Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences combines a growing nursing programme with relatively low public tuition in Colorado Springs.

• Graduation rate: 46%, number 5 in Colorado on our list
• Programme size: about 167 bachelor’s nursing graduates a year
• Early earnings: nursing graduates earned a median of $78,698 one year after graduating
• Cost: $10,345 in-state tuition ($24,771 out of state)
• Acceptance rate: 97%

Several Colorado community colleges, such as Front Range and Pikes Peak, now offer bachelor’s nursing degrees. Their lower graduation rates reflect a student body that often studies part-time, and they can be an affordable route, especially for nurses who started with an associate degree. For-profit options such as Denver College of Nursing also produce many graduates; check their NCLEX results and total cost carefully.

But is a ranking enough to choose a school?

No ranking can tell you everything. Before you apply, also check:

• NCLEX pass rates: the Colorado State Board of Nursing publishes first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates for every approved programme. Look for consistently high rates over several years.
• Accreditation: make sure the BSN is accredited by CCNE or ACEN.
• Getting into the nursing major: many universities admit students as “pre-nursing” first. Ask what share progress into the nursing programme.
• Clinical placements: where students train and how placements are arranged.
• Total cost: use each college’s net price calculator to see your likely cost after financial aid.

Related: US nursing schools with the highest graduation rates

Sources: US Department of Education College Scorecard (accessed November 2026), Colorado State Board of Nursing, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Figures change every year; always confirm with the college.