Nursing Schools in Colorado: All 75 Approved Programs & NCLEX Pass Rates
Colorado has 44 schools running 75 board-approved nursing programs — 51 RN-track and 24 PN/LPN-track. The average 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across Colorado programs is 86.4%, 0.1 points below the national average of 86.5%. Every row below comes straight from the state board of nursing's published approved-program list — not self-reported school marketing.
Best Nursing Schools in Colorado by NCLEX Pass Rate
Top RN programs ranked by 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, among programs with a published 2025 rate. Rates are one year of data — check multi-year trends before deciding.
- 1100%Alamosa · BSN
- 2100%Aurora · BSN
- 3100%Craig · ADN
- 4100%Westminster · ADN
- 598.5%Aurora · BSN (Accelerated)
- 698%Fort Collins · ADN
- 796%Greeley · ADN
- 896%Colorado Springs · ADN
- 996%Trinidad · ADN
- 1094%Aurora · BSN
What Nursing School Costs in Colorado — and What Graduates Earn
Tuition, admissions and graduate-earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, matched to 25 of 44 Colorado schools. Earnings are program-level — the median for graduates of that school's own nursing program, not all its alumni.
Median federal loan debt for BSN graduates in Colorado is $24,531 (8 programs). Sticker tuition is the whole school's published price, not the nursing program's alone, and it ignores aid — the number that decides whether a program pays off is what you actually pay plus the wages you give up while enrolled. Run your own numbers in the ROI calculator or read the full cost of becoming an RN.
Every Approved Nursing Program in Colorado
Sort by any column, filter RN vs PN/LPN, or search a school or city.
75 of 75 programs · “—” = not published for that program · tuition is the school’s published in-state price for one year, before aid; grad pay is the median for that program’s own graduates, one year out
| Adams State University | Alamosa | BSNRN | $9,824 | $70,926 | 100% |
| AdventHealth University | Greenwood Village | BSNRN | — | — | 81% |
| Aims Community College | Greeley | ADNRN | $2,258 | — | 96% |
| Aims Community College | Greeley | LPN to ADNRN | $2,258 | — | — |
| Aims Community College | Greeley | PN - Exit Option (ADN program)PN | $2,258 | — | — |
| Arahahoe Community College | Littleton | PN - Exit Option (ADN program)PN | — | — | — |
| Arapahoe Community College | Littleton | ADNRN | $4,434 | $73,926 | 86% |
| Arapahoe Community College | Littleton | LPN to ADNRN | $4,434 | $73,926 | — |
| Arizona College of NursingNew/provisional | Aurora | BSNRN | — | — | 100% |
| Casa Loma CollegeNew/provisional | Aurora | ADNRN | — | — | — |
| Casa Loma College- Colorado campusNew/provisional | Aurora | PN - CertificatePN | — | — | — |
| Colorado Christian University | Lakewood | BSNRN | $41,342 | $71,388 | 91% |
| Colorado Mesa UniversityNew/provisional | Grand Junction | ADNRN | $9,927 | — | — |
| Colorado Mesa University | Grand Junction | BSN (Traditional)RN | $9,927 | $69,631 | 89% |
| Colorado Mesa University | Montrose | LPN to BSNRN | $9,927 | $69,631 | 87.8% |
| Colorado Mesa University | Grand Junction | PN - CertificatePN | $9,927 | — | 100% |
| Colorado Mountain CollegeNew/provisional | Glenwood Springs | BSNRN | $2,616 | — | — |
| Colorado Northwestern Community College | Craig | ADNRN | $4,594 | $70,087 | 100% |
| Colorado Northwestern Community College | Craig | PN - Exit Option (ADN program)PN | $4,594 | — | — |
| Colorado State University | Fort Collins | Direct Entry MSNRN | — | — | — |
| Colorado State University Pueblo | Pueblo | BSN (Accelerated)RN | $9,720 | $71,714 | 86% |
| Colorado State University Pueblo | Pueblo | BSN (Basic)RN | $9,720 | $71,714 | 81% |
| Community College of AuroraNew/provisional | Centennial | ADNRN | $4,470 | — | — |
| Community College of DenverNew/provisional | Denver | LPN to BSNRN | $4,902 | — | — |
| Community College of Denver | Denver | PN - CertificatePN | $4,902 | $23,614 | 100% |
| Concorde Career CollegeNew/provisional | Aurora | BSNRN | — | — | 94% |
| Concorde Career College | Denver | PN - CertificatePN | — | — | 73.7% |
| Concordia University, St. Paul | Greenwood Village | BSN (Accelerated)RN | — | — | 78.9% |
| Denver College of Nursing | Denver | ADNRN | — | $70,197 | 84% |
| Denver College of Nursing | Denver | BSNRN | — | $76,161 | 80% |
| Emily Griffith Technical College | Denver | PN - CertificatePN | $11,935program year | $37,744 | 84% |
| Front Range CC—Westminster | Westminster | PN - Exit Option (ADN program)PN | $4,663 | $29,021 | — |
| Front Range Community College | Fort Collins | ADNRN | $4,663 | $76,014 | 98% |
| Front Range Community College | Westminster | ADNRN | $4,663 | $76,014 | 100% |
| Front Range Community College, Larimer Campus | Fort Collins | PN - CertificatePN | — | — | 100% |
| Galen CollegeNew/provisional | Aurora | ADNRN | — | — | — |
| Galen CollegeNew/provisional | Aurora | BSNRN | — | — | — |
| Grand Canyon UniversityNew/provisional | Englewood | ABSNRN | — | — | — |
| Lamar Community College | Lamar | ADNRN | $4,550 | — | 73% |
| Lamar Community College | Lamar | PN - Exit Option (ADN program)PN | $4,550 | — | — |
| Metropolitan State University Denver | Denver | BSN — Accelerated Nursing Option (ANO)RN | $11,124 | $77,333 | 90% |
| Metropolitan State University Denver | Denver | BSN — Traditional Nursing Option (TNO)RN | $11,124 | $77,333 | 94% |
| Morgan Community College | Fort Morgan | ADNRN | $4,252 | $76,759 | 80% |
| Morgan Community College | Fort Morgan | PN - Exit Option (ADN program)PN | $4,252 | $64,066 | 90% |
| Northeastern Junior College | Sterling | ADNRN | $5,730 | $68,853 | — |
| Northeastern Junior College | Sterling | PN - Exit Option (ADN program)PN | $5,730 | — | — |
| Otero College | La Junta | PN - Exit Option (ADN program)PN | $4,576 | $74,405 | 64.3% |
| Otero Junior College | La Junta | ADNRN | — | — | 40% |
| Pickens Technical College | Aurora | PN - CertificatePN | $5,140 | $53,360 | 61.1% |
| Pikes Peak Community College | Colorado Springs | PN - Exit Option (ADN program)PN | — | — | — |
| Pikes Peak State College | Colorado Springs | ADNRN | $4,510 | $72,869 | 96% |
| Pikes Peak State CollegeNew/provisional | Colorado Springs | PN - CertificatePN | $4,510 | — | — |
| Pima Medical Institute | Aurora | PN - CertificatePN | — | — | 89.7% |
| Pueblo Community College | Pueblo | ADNRN | $5,049 | $72,520 | 76% |
| Pueblo Community College | Cañon City | ADNRN | $5,049 | $72,520 | 60% |
| Pueblo Community College | Pueblo | Paramedic to ADNRN | $5,049 | $72,520 | 84% |
| Pueblo Community College | Mancos | PN - CertificatePN | $5,049 | $25,507 | — |
| Pueblo Community College | Pueblo | PN - CertificatePN | $5,049 | $25,507 | — |
| Pueblo Community College | Pueblo | PN - Exit Option (ADN program)PN | $5,049 | $25,507 | 95% |
| Pueblo Community College—Fremont Campus | Cañon City | PN - Exit Option (ADN program)PN | — | — | — |
| Red Rocks Community CollegeNew/provisional | Arvada | ADNRN | $4,859 | — | — |
| Regis University | Denver | BSN (Accelerated)RN | $46,340 | $76,736 | 85.3% |
| Regis University | Denver | BSN (Choice)RN | $46,340 | $76,736 | 92% |
| Regis University | Denver | BSN (Traditional)RN | $46,340 | $76,736 | 86.6% |
| Southwest Colorado Community College (div. of Pueblo CC) | Mancos | ADNRN | — | — | 65% |
| Trinidad State Junior College | Trinidad | ADNRN | — | — | 96% |
| Trinidad State Junior College | Alamosa | ADNRN | — | — | — |
| Trinidad State Junior College | Trinidad | Paramedic to ADNRN | — | — | — |
| Trinidad State Junior College | Trinidad | PN - Exit Option (ADN program)PN | — | — | 81.8% |
| Trinidad State Junior College | Alamosa | PN - Exit Option (ADN program)PN | — | — | — |
| University of Colorado College of Nursing (Anschutz) | Aurora | BSN (Accelerated)RN | — | — | 98.5% |
| University of Colorado College of Nursing (Anschutz) | Aurora | BSN (Traditional)RN | — | — | 93.5% |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs — Johnson Beth-El CON | Colorado Springs | BSN (Accelerated)RN | — | — | 85% |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs — Johnson Beth-El CON | Colorado Springs | BSN (Traditional)RN | — | — | 93% |
| University of Northern Colorado | Greeley | BSNRN | $12,416 | $74,308 | 89.3% |
Whichever school you choose, the NCLEX is the finish line
The pass rates above are made by students, not buildings. Students who do well start NCLEX-style practice in their first semester — studying for class exams and the boards at the same time. NurseSavvy turns your own course materials into matched NCLEX practice questions from day one — free to try, then $19/mo.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best nursing school in Colorado by NCLEX pass rate?
4 RN programs in Colorado tied for the highest 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate at 100%, including Adams State University in Alamosa — see the full ranked list above, among programs with a published 2025 rate on the state board's list.
How many nursing schools are in Colorado?
Colorado has 44 schools offering 75 board-approved nursing programs: 51 RN-track (ADN/BSN and similar) and 24 PN/LPN-track programs, per the state board of nursing's current approved-program list.
What is the average NCLEX pass rate in Colorado?
Across Colorado RN programs with a published 2025 rate, the average first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is 86.4% — 0.1 points below the national average of 86.5%.
How much does nursing school cost in Colorado?
Across Colorado nursing schools we could match to U.S. Department of Education data, median published in-state tuition and fees run $4,663 a year at public schools (21 schools). That is the whole institution's sticker price per year, before aid — an ADN takes about two years and a BSN four, and most students pay less than sticker. Per-school figures are in the table above.
What do nursing graduates in Colorado earn?
Federal earnings data tracks graduates of each specific nursing program. In Colorado, median earnings one year after finishing are $72,869 for ADN graduates (11 programs) and $73,011 for BSN graduates (8 programs). These are medians of program-level medians and the federal figures lag by a few years, so treat them as a floor for comparison between schools rather than a salary prediction.
What does a first-time NCLEX pass rate tell me about a school?
It is the share of a program’s graduates who passed the NCLEX on their first attempt — the single most comparable public outcome number nursing programs report. Boards of nursing track it for program approval, and consistently low rates can put a program on conditional status. Compare it alongside cost, location, and program length, not in isolation.
About this data
Program list and 2025 first-time NCLEX pass rates are taken directly from the Colorado board of nursing's published approved-program materials. “—” means the board did not publish a 2025 rate for that program (new programs, small cohorts, or PN lists without rate tables). Pass rates refresh annually; this page is rebuilt from the board lists when they update.
Tuition, admission rates, graduate earnings and debt come from the U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts, June 10 2026 data release), matched by school name and city to 25 of 44 Colorado schools. Schools the federal data does not cover — hospital-based programs and schools outside federal student-aid reporting — show “—” rather than an estimate. Tuition and admission rates describe the whole institution; earnings and debt are specific to its nursing programs, by credential, and lag the current graduating class by several years.
- collegescorecard.ed.gov — Most Recent Cohorts, June 10 2026 data release
- dpo.colorado.gov — list: 2022-11-20 (list "Updated 11/20/2022"; 8-qrt rate column headed 7/1/2024-6/30/2026)