Compare costs, NCLEX pass rates, and outcomes for Aurora's leading nursing programs side by side.
Aurora, Colorado, sits adjacent to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, the Rocky Mountain region’s largest academic health center and a hub for thousands of clinical rotations. This dense network of hospitals and specialty clinics has made registered nursing one of the area’s fastest-growing professions.
Prospective nursing students here choose among traditional BSNs at public universities, accelerated second-degree programs that compress coursework into 12-18 months, and community-college ADN pathways with strong bridge agreements to local employers.
With Denver-Aurora area RNs earning a median annual wage above $105,000, the calculus of tuition against potential earnings is sharp. The difference between a program with a strong NCLEX track record and one without can mean a delayed start to a well-compensated career.
Our 2026 ranking of Aurora-area nursing schools highlights BSN and ADN programs that balance affordability, graduation success, and career earnings. Whether you're looking for a campus-based associate degree, an accelerated BSN, or an online RN-to-BSN bridge, these Colorado institutions offer strong pathways into nursing.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
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| #1 | Northeastern Junior College | Sterling, CO | $14,000/yr (net price) | Rural students seeking an affordable ADN | |
Northeastern Junior College in Sterling offers an ACEN-accredited associate degree in nursing with small class sizes and a curriculum blending classroom, lab, and clinical experiences. The program has a 2.5 GPA admission requirement and prepares students for the NCLEX-RN. With an institutional net price around $13,800 and a graduation rate of 56.5% (institution-wide), it's a solid launchpad for Colorado nursing careers. Graduates across all programs at the college see median earnings of about $39,900 ten years after starting school.
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| #2 | Trinidad State College | Trinidad, CO | $10,000 – $15,000/yr | LPNs transitioning to RN licensure | |
Trinidad State College provides an associate degree nursing program with a practical nurse exit option and an LPN-to-ADN pathway, alongside traditional daytime and evening/weekend schedules. The campus-based program emphasizes critical thinking and professional ethics, supported by an institutional net price of about $10,800 and a 54.5% graduation rate. School-wide median earnings a decade after entry are approximately $36,500.
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| #3 | Front Range Community College | Westminster, CO | $10,000 – $15,000/yr | Working RNs needing flexible BSN completion | |
Front Range Community College offers both an associate degree nursing program on campus and a flexible, hybrid RN-to-BSN completion option for working nurses. With over 50 years of nursing education in Colorado, the school pairs an institutional net price of about $13,000 with a 35.5% graduation rate (institution-wide). Graduates overall report median earnings around $45,900 ten years after entry.
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| #4 | Lamar Community College | Lamar, CO | $5,000 – $10,000/yr | ||
Lamar Community College delivers a five-semester associate of applied science in nursing that includes an option to test for practical nursing licensure after the first year. The ACEN-accredited program stresses hands-on clinicals and patient-centered care, with a low institutional net price near $9,200 and a graduation rate of 54.7%. Across all programs, graduates earn a median of about $38,700 ten years after enrolling.
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| #5 | Red Rocks Community College | Lakewood, CO | $5,000 – $10,000/yr | ||
Red Rocks Community College's associate degree in nursing emphasizes clinical reasoning and leadership, with prerequisite courses in sciences and communication. Located in Lakewood, it serves the Denver metro area, offering a campus-based program with an institutional net price of roughly $9,000 and a 32% graduation rate. School-wide median earnings 10 years post-entry are around $46,300.
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| #6 | Regis University | Denver, CO | ~$18,000/yr (est.) | ||
Regis University, a private Denver institution, provides CCNE-accredited BSN pathways including a traditional four-year, a one-year accelerated, and a hybrid CHOICE option for working adults. The nursing program requires over 750 clinical hours and is anchored by a Jesuit tradition of social justice. With an institutional net price of about $18,400 and a 61% graduation rate, graduates see median earnings of roughly $72,100 after 10 years.
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| #7 | Aims Community College | Greeley, CO | $11,000/yr | ||
Aims Community College in Greeley boasts a 95% NCLEX-RN pass rate for its associate degree nursing program, which integrates lectures, labs, and internships. The campus-based program has an institutional net price around $11,500 and a 39.6% graduation rate. Graduates across all programs earn a median of approximately $41,900 ten years out.
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| #8 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | Denver, CO | $10,000 – $15,000/yr | ||
The University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus, physically located in Aurora, is the area's flagship nursing school with a top-ranked College of Nursing. It offers traditional, accelerated, and a Colorado-resident-only bridge pathway, all emphasizing evidence-based, relationship-centered care and interdisciplinary collaboration. The institution has a net price of about $11,900 and a 46.1% graduation rate, with graduates earning a median of $64,300 a decade after enrollment.
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| #9 | Morgan Community College | Fort Morgan, CO | $5,000 – $10,000/yr | ||
Morgan Community College offers an affordable, CCNE-accredited online RN-to-BSN program at $200 per credit, alongside a campus-based associate degree in nursing. With an institutional net price near $9,300 and a 44.6% graduation rate, it provides accessible pathways for rural and metro students alike. Graduates overall see median earnings of $39,400 after 10 years.
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| #10 | University of Northern Colorado | Greeley, CO | $18,000/yr (net price) | ||
The University of Northern Colorado delivers hybrid BSN tracks including a nine-semester traditional option and a second-degree pathway for career changers. Located in Greeley with strong Denver-area job placement, the university's institutional net price is about $17,800, and its graduation rate stands at 51.2%. School-wide median earnings a decade after entry are roughly $52,200.
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Choosing a nursing program often pits a school’s name recognition against the concrete outcomes that matter most: affordability, timely graduation, and whether graduates actually land well-paying jobs. Our ranking cuts through the marketing claims by anchoring each program to its performance on four data points drawn from the College Scorecard.
We included programs within a 75-mile radius of Aurora, which naturally captures Aurora-based schools as well as many in the Denver metro. This breadth ensures you see a full landscape of nearby options without being constrained by municipal boundaries.
Unlike reputation-based lists, our methodology relies solely on transparent, publicly reported data. That means you can verify every data point yourself and make an apples-to-apples comparison without editorial bias.
The total cost of a BSN can vary by thousands of dollars depending on residency status and financial aid. The chart below shows annual in-state tuition, out-of-state tuition, and the average net price, what students actually pay after grants and scholarships, for four public BSN programs within a reasonable drive of Aurora.
A nursing school’s name and location might catch your eye, but its NCLEX-RN pass rate, especially first-time results, is what reveals whether the program truly prepares you to become a licensed nurse. First-time pass figures track graduates who pass on their initial attempt, offering a clear snapshot of a program’s ability to get students across the finish line without retakes.
University of Colorado College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus reported outstanding 2023 NCLEX-RN results:1
These numbers place CU Anschutz well above most state and national benchmarks.
For context, among nursing schools in Colorado, the state average first-time NCLEX pass rate hovered between 87% and 89% in 20262. Nationally, the first-time pass rate was 86.7% in 2025, with total pass rates (including repeat testers) dropping to 69.1%3. CU Anschutz consistently outperforms both, signaling strong curriculum and clinical preparation.
A high first-time rate matters because it predicts your own odds of earning an RN license quickly. Programs with low first-time figures may leave graduates scrambling for retakes, delaying employment and adding expense. Employers also take note: many prefer nurses who passed on their first try. While total pass rates eventually capture repeat success, the first-attempt number is a stricter measure of program quality.
Pass rates for Galen College of Nursing, Concorde Career College, and Arizona College of Nursing’s Aurora location are not readily available through the Colorado Board of Nursing’s public reports or the schools’ websites for the most recent cycle. Prospective students should contact these programs directly and request a copy of their NCLEX program report or recent annual performance data.
Gaining admission to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in Aurora, Colorado, requires meeting specific academic and testing benchmarks. While each school sets its own criteria, most require a minimum GPA, a standardized entrance exam score, and certain prerequisite coursework. Below, we compare the key admission requirements for three BSN programs in the Aurora area.
Although not all schools publish complete admissions data, understanding these baseline requirements can help you prepare a strong application. Always check directly with each program for the most current policies.
How much do registered nurses actually earn in Aurora, and does the salary justify the cost of a BSN?
Registered nurses in the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metropolitan area earn a median annual wage of $105,930 ($50.93/hour)1, nearly 13% above the national median of $93,600 ($45.00/hour)2. The premium reflects strong demand for healthcare professionals along the Front Range and the high concentration of specialty hospitals.
Several health systems in Aurora and Denver offer competitive compensation that can push wages well above the median.
Federal College Scorecard data for top Aurora-area BSN programs shows median earnings 10 years after enrollment range from about $52,000 to $72,000, while median student debt at graduation sits between $20,500 and $25,000. That debt-to-earnings ratio demonstrates a strong return, especially when you consider that experienced nurses in the metro can earn well over the median. Program-level earnings data are not yet available for these schools, but the institution-wide figures confirm the long-term value of a BSN.
The BLS projects 5% national growth for registered nurses from 2024 to 2034, adding about 189,100 new positions annually2. Colorado’s expanding healthcare sector, fueled by an aging population and new hospital construction, suggests robust demand in the Aurora-Denver metro. New graduates with a BSN can expect steady job placement and advancement in their nursing careers over the coming decade.
Aurora offers direct access to top clinical sites, but prospective students often have common questions about costs, scheduling, and outcomes. These concise answers address the most frequent concerns we hear from nursing school applicants in the area.
Beyond the top-ranked programs, several additional nursing schools within a 75-mile radius of Aurora offer BSN and ADN pathways. Explore this directory to find options that fit your budget, learning format, and career goals.
