Nursing in Colorado

If you want to become a nurse in Colorado, you’re in a good place to start. The state has 42 nursing schools spread across 41 cities. This means you can find programs close to home or in places where you might want to live. Whether you are thinking about becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Nurse (RN), or want to follow a different path like earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Colorado offers a lot of options for your education.

Passing the NCLEX exam is an important step to becoming a nurse, and Colorado does well here. The state’s nursing students have an average pass rate of 90.4%, with rates ranging from 87.3% to 93.4%. The good news is that this pass rate has been going up recently. Once you pass the NCLEX and earn your license, you will be ready to work as a nurse in Colorado and other states too. That’s because Colorado is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact. This means you can practice nursing in any of the other compact states without needing to get a new license for each state. It gives you more flexibility if you want to move or travel for work.

The average salary for a registered nurse here is around $80,000 a year, though this will vary depending on where and how you work. Some of the biggest healthcare employers in the state include UC Health, Kaiser Permanente, and Denver Health. These organizations offer many job opportunities for nurses in different specialties and settings.

On this page, you will find useful tools to help with your nursing education journey in Colorado. You can check out NCLEX pass rate charts that compare Colorado’s scores with the national average, look through lists of nursing schools, and find scholarships that could help pay for your training. Take your time and use these resources to make the best choice for your nursing career.