Nursing Schools in Colorado

Guide to Colorado Nursing Degrees

If it is a nursing degree that you are interested in, you can start looking for Colorado nursing schools that will provide you with top rated education and training. Colorado is a great place to start your nursing career because of the many distinguished hospitals found here such as the Medical Center of Aurora, Rose Medical Center, Exempla Lutheran Medical Center of Wheat Ridge, and Porter Adventist Hospital.

One good reason why you should consider applying in Colorado nursing schools is the fact that the nursing community in this part of the country is very supportive to the development and improvement of its members. The Colorado Nurses Association was created to guide registered nurses in plotting their careers as well as to provide annual continuing education seminars and trainings. Meanwhile, the Colorado Student Nurses' Association aims to prepare students for their entry to the healthcare field and also to ensure that the students are given proper training and adequate resources to further their education in the field of nursing.

Colorado Nursing Job Outlook and Salary

If there is one thing that you need to know, it is the fact that there is no glut in nurses in the US, most especially in the state of Colorado. Although there are many Colorado nursing schools, the number of students that are accepted in each school is not enough to fill in the void. To complicate things, the population of nurses in the Centennial State is aging. According to a study conducted by Colorado Health Institute, 33% of nurses in the state are aged 55 years and above. Much like in other parts of the US, there is a great need for nurses in the coming years.

To help ease the shortage of nurses, there are a number of state and private foundations that offer scholarships for deserving applicants to various Colorado nursing schools. Organizations like Friends of Nursing, Colorado Nurses Foundation and Alpha Kappa Chapter-at-Large are some of the groups that offer scholarships and loan repayment schemes for nursing students.

Apart from the big number of open positions, a nurse’s salary in Colorado is also very attractive. The pay is usually dependent on the number of years of experience, field of expertise, and also the level of education. The average salary of registered staff nurse in Boulder is $65,900, while salary in Denver ranges from $58,300 to $86,000. Aside from the base salary, nurses in the state also enjoy bonuses, pension, healthcare, disability, and many other benefits.

Degree Programs in Colorado

In Colorado, the Colorado Board of Nursing is in charge of approving registered nursing and advanced practice nursing programs.¹ Much like academic accreditation, this process makes sure that nursing programs are held to and meet the same rigorous standards from one end of the state to the other. Below is a list of schools approved by the Colorado Board of Nursing to teach nursing courses at every level.

Associate Nursing Programs

Bachelor Nursing Programs