Nursing Schools in Denver, CO

A community college ADN prepares you for the NCLEX-RN sooner and at lower cost, while a university BSN takes longer and costs more, but many Magnet-designated hospitals prefer it. Both routes are within commuting distance of Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Littleton, and Westminster.

Weigh each program on NCLEX-RN results, cost, length and accreditation, along with the trade of a short drive and a lower bill against a longer degree. Practical nurses, second-degree students, and licensed RNs each have their own routes here.

In Denver, the degree you start with matters less than whether the program is Board-approved and gets you hired into a residency.

Where Denver Nurses Get Hired: Uchealth, Denver Health, and Other Major Systems

For most new Denver nurses, the first job is a new-graduate residency: a year-long hospital position that pairs your first RN role with classes, mentoring and supported time on the unit. The big metro systems all hire this way, and their entry rules can shape which degree you choose.

The Major Systems and Their Residencies

• UCHealth: University of Colorado Hospital anchors the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. The Front Range residency runs one year, with 2026 cohorts in February, July, August and October. ADN and BSN graduates both qualify, but ADN hires must finish a BSN within three years. UCHealth advises applying about six months before your preferred start.¹
• Denver Health: The 12-month residency combines monthly classes with clinical experiences, and 2026 cohorts began in January, April, July and October. It accepts ADN or BSN graduates with no more than 12 months of RN experience, and you can apply up to 120 days before sitting for the NCLEX.
• HCA HealthONE: The year-long residency lists biweekly 2026 start dates from July 20 through December 21.² Individual hospitals sometimes post different dates, so check the specific facility.
• Intermountain Health: Its current posting is a 12-month residency starting November 2, 2026.³
• Children's Hospital Colorado: The pediatric residency is the most selective. It requires a BSN from a CCNE- or ACEN-accredited program, earned within 12 months before the cohort starts, though exceptions are possible. The March 1, 2027 cohort, serving Denver metro and Colorado Springs, closed applications October 16, 2026.⁴
• Kaiser Permanente Colorado: A major metro employer worth watching for new-graduate openings on its careers site.

The takeaway is simple: an ADN gets you hired at UCHealth and Denver Health, but a BSN keeps every option open, including pediatrics.

Why Clinical Placements Matter

Students who rotate through a hospital learn its units, meet its managers and often land their first job there. Before you commit to a program, ask where students complete clinicals, which units they see and whether capstone or preceptorship placements happen at the systems you hope to join.

Matching Your Commute to a Hospital

Employers are spread across the metro, from the Anschutz campus in Aurora to downtown Denver, Lakewood, Englewood and Thornton. If you plan to commute, pick a school whose clinical partners sit on the same side of town as the hospital where you want to work. That keeps both school and early career within a manageable drive.

Denver-Area Nursing Programs Ranked by NCLEX-RN Pass Rates

Below are the Denver-area nursing programs with the strongest NCLEX-RN first-time pass rates, ordered by exam performance with accreditation and completion as tie-breakers. Clearing the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt is the clearest signal that a program prepared its graduates for real practice, so the order below rewards schools whose graduates get over that hurdle. Each entry notes whether the credential is an ADN or a BSN, along with tuition, average net price, and institution-wide graduation rate, so you can weigh cost and completion alongside exam results.

ADN or BSN? How Denver Programs Compare on Cost and Length

In Colorado, both an ADN and a BSN qualify you to sit for the NCLEX-RN. The BSN takes longer and costs more, and Magnet-designated hospitals often prefer it. The table below keeps each cost labeled by its basis: average net price after aid is not the same as published tuition, and prerequisite, fee, uniform and supply costs are separate from both. Net price figures are institution-wide averages, so treat them as a rough guide to affordability, not a quote for the nursing program itself.

What Registered Nurses Earn in the Denver Metro

Registered nurses in the Denver metro earn a median wage above $100,000 a year, and the middle half of earners fall between $85,390 and $109,760.

From LPN to RN: Bridge Options at Denver-Area Community Colleges

Front Range Community College reportedly gives LPN-licensed students advanced placement worth 21 credits toward its associate degree in nursing. It is the clearest bridge detail available for the area's community colleges, so confirm it with the school. Details at Community College of Denver, Red Rocks, and Arapahoe are less clear. Requirements, costs, and seat counts can also change every admissions cycle, so check each school's current information before you plan around it.

Check Each Nursing Department Directly

Visit the nursing department site at Community College of Denver, Red Rocks Community College, Arapahoe Community College, and Front Range Community College. Search for "LPN to RN," "advanced placement," or "bridge." Some schools fold LPN entry into the regular ADN application rather than running a separate program, so the page you want may carry a different name. Arapahoe, for example, is described as running its practical nursing certificate as an early exit within the RN track, which is not the same as a standalone bridge.

A Step-by-Step Action Plan

• Contact: Reach the nursing admissions advisor at each college.
• Request: Ask for the current program information packet.
• Ask specifically about: admission requirements, length in semesters, prerequisite courses, and total cost, including tuition, fees, books, and clinical expenses.

FY2025-2026 resident tuition for 30 credit hours is $5,250 at Community College of Denver, Arapahoe and Front Range, and $5,912 at Red Rocks. Mandatory fees run $1,114 at Community College of Denver, $426 at Arapahoe, and $510 at Front Range. These are college-wide figures, not nursing bridge totals, so treat them as a starting point only.

Build a Checklist for Each School

Keep one checklist per college so you can compare them side by side. Include these items:

• Accreditation by ACEN or CCNE
• Articulation and transfer policies, including whether your LPN coursework and any later BSN plans carry over
• Waitlists and whether admission is competitive, plus application deadlines
• Total credits remaining after advanced placement

Where to Verify

Use BLS.gov for LPN and RN wage and job outlook data. The Colorado State Board of Nursing lists approved programs and licensure rules. NCSBN and the Colorado Nurses Association publish exam-preparation and professional-standards guidance that helps you judge what a good bridge program should deliver.

LPN to RN Programs Near Denver

If you already hold an LPN or LVN license, a bridge program builds on that training instead of starting over. The options below are spread across the metro, so weigh commute times alongside curriculum when you compare them. Each one is a campus-based program with in-person clinical requirements.

Accelerated BSN and Entry-Level MSN Programs Near Denver

Second-degree students who already hold a bachelor's in another field can finish a BSN on a compressed timeline at several Denver-area schools. Each option below blends prerequisite science coursework with an intensive nursing sequence and clinical placements. This is a directory, not a ranking, so compare format, length and cost against your own schedule.

What Denver Nursing Schools Expect Before You Apply

The specifics below come from CU Anschutz's 2026–2027 admissions pages in Aurora. Use them as a benchmark, then confirm current rules with MSU Denver, Regis, Community College of Denver and Red Rocks, since requirements vary by school.

1. Minimum GPA

   CU Anschutz's traditional pathway requires a 3.0 cumulative GPA across the 60 required credits plus a 3.0 prerequisite GPA. The UCAN accelerated BSN requires a 3.0 prerequisite GPA and recommends, but does not require, a 3.0 cumulative.
2. Entrance exam

   CU Anschutz evaluates GPA, transcripts, recommendation letters and interviews for selected applicants. Many associate degree programs use the TEAS or HESI A2, so ask each school which exam it accepts and what score it targets.
3. Prerequisites and recency

   CU's list covers biology, chemistry, English and math or statistics. Each course needs a C or better and must fall within 10 years of the deadline. Traditional applicants may have up to 18 prerequisite credits outstanding if they finish before the term starts. Check whether your target program also requires microbiology.
4. Deadlines

   CU's traditional Summer 2027 window closes November 15, 2026, and its Fall 2027 window runs January 1 to April 15, 2027 (a separate CU listing shows March 1, so confirm). UCAN's Fall 2027 priority deadline is January 15, 2027. Dates change every year.
5. Accreditation

   Before applying, verify CCNE accreditation for BSN programs or ACEN accreditation for ADN programs, or candidacy status, directly with the accreditor.
6. Clinical clearance

   Expect a background check and immunization records before clinicals. Some programs require CNA certification, and UCAN requires healthcare experience.

RN to BSN/MSN Programs in Denver, CO

If you already hold an active RN license, an RN to BSN completion program is the most direct route to a bachelor's degree. The programs below build on your associate degree or diploma, and most deliver coursework online with a practicum or capstone arranged close to home. Each card links to the school's own program page for admission details, tuition, and start dates.

APRN & Nurse Practitioner Programs in Denver, CO

If you already hold an RN license and are ready for prescriptive authority or a clinical leadership role, the Denver area offers several advanced practice routes at the master's and doctoral level. Programs below are listed as a directory, not a ranking, so you can compare tracks, formats, and clinical hour expectations side by side.

Colorado RN Licensure and Program Approval at a Glance

Comprehensive List of Nursing Schools Near Denver, CO

12 schools within 20 miles, grouped by city. Select a program to see its highlights, and use the Website link for the school's own program page.

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