Denver Nursing Schools: Find the Best College & Online Programs (2023)

Front Range Community Collegeoffers two options for those seeking DNA that leads to eligibility to take the NCLEX-RN and become an RN license. The Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (AASN) is a full-time, five-semester program for students with little or no college or nursing experience and is available at the Front Range campuses in Westminster and Larimer. Current licensed practical nurses intending to become a fully licensed RN can save one semester off their graduation completion times by opting for the four-semester DNA LPN program available on the Westminster campus.

Front Range differs from most community colleges by offering a completely online RN to BSN program for students who already have ADN or have completed the first year of an ASN program. A three-semester Practical Nursing Certificate program is also available.

ONursing departmentat Denver Metropolitan State University focuses exclusively on four degree options, all of which are highly affordable. Campus-based Traditional BSN students complete all prerequisite general education and nursing courses in their freshman and sophomore years and all BSN clinical and nursing courses in their junior and senior years. Students with a non-nursing bachelor's degree can opt for the 17-month accelerated BSN. Along with their previous bachelor's degrees, candidates for this highly competitive program must have completed all prerequisite courses with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and have taken the HESI exam.

MSU Denver's Dual Enrollment and RN to BSN options combine 100% online coursework with a clinical practicum. Both programs can be completed in less than a year.

A leading healthcare provider in the Denver and Rocky Mountain region, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is home to a variety of undergraduate, graduate, and certification programs through itsNursing school. This includes four pathways to a BSN degree, beginning with a 24-month, traditional, full-time BSN completion program for students who require all upper division nursing courses and clinical hours. The accelerated BSN program allows non-nursing undergraduate students to earn their BSN and NCLEX-RN eligibility with 12 months of full-time study. CU Anschutz also offers a 100% online RN to BSN option and an RN to BSN early decision option for current DNA students.

Nursing degree options at CU Anschutz include a partially online MSN program and graduate certificates, each with a dozen specialty tracks. In addition, its DNP Nursing and PhD programs combine online courses with intensives on campus.

Colorado Christian University offers undergraduate and graduate nursing programs, all of which have distance learning components. EITHERRN para BSNfeatures 100% online courses of instruction and clinical hours taken at practice facilities in students' local areas. The program is part-time to accommodate working nurses and can be completed in as little as 14 months. For undergraduate students, CCU offers aBSN Adult Graduate Student PathwayIt is primarily campus-based, but students can complete prerequisite courses online.

CCU's online graduate nursing programs include aMSNwith specialization options in Nursing Education and Clinical Care Management in Adults and Geriatrics and aDNPwith online courses and a 525-hour clinical experience requirement that can be completed with two years of full-time study. Tuition rates for CCU nursing programs are surprisingly competitive.

ODenver College of Nursingis a private institution focused on educating and training registered nurses and nurse leaders. DCN offers two online programs for current RNs seeking career advancement and additional knowledge and skills. The RN to BS program offers fully online and asynchronous courses along with 24/7 online tutoring and support services and can be completed in 15 months. The curriculum consists of 90 quarter credits of general education and advanced nursing courses. Students receive an additional 90 quarter credits from their DNA degrees for a total of 180 credits. The MSN Online program consists of six quarters of courses and can be completed in 15-18 months.

Costs at DCN are surprisingly competitive, especially for a private university. The current estimated total program cost for the RN to BSN program tuition, fees, and books, for example, is just under $15,000.

Regis University, a private Jesuit-affiliated institution, is home to the most comprehensive and convenient line of online nursing degree and certificate programs of any Denver nursing school. The RN to BSN Undergraduate Completion Program offers the option of completing all requirements through 100% asynchronous or synchronous web-based class formats or a combination of both. All classes are eight weeks long and students can complete the entire program in 10 months, taking two classes at a time, or in 20 months, taking one class at a time.

Regis MSN online offerings include a low-residency program for Family Nurse Practitioners: Rural and Underserved Communities, consisting of one synchronous class per week, in addition to local clinical rotations. There is also a fully online and asynchronous or synchronous Health Systems and Leadership program, a neonatal nursing program with one synchronous class per week plus local clinical rotations, and an RN for MSN program that combines synchronous and asynchronous classes. Additional online programs at Regis include an MSN for DNP, Post-BSN for DNP, and an FNP Postgraduate Certificate.