RN programs in Colorado

17 RN (registered nurse) programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

7 schools offer these RN programs, and Colorado has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Registered nurses provide and coordinate patient care and teach patients and their families about health conditions. To work as one, you graduate from an approved nursing program (a bachelor's or associate degree in nursing, or a hospital diploma) and pass a licensing exam for your state nursing license.¹ The exam is the NCLEX-RN from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, which the nursing boards of every state, DC and four US territories use in deciding who gets a license.²

In Colorado, 11 of the 17 programs take students without a high school diploma, 4 ask for a diploma or equivalent, 1 asks for earlier courses first and 1 asks for a bachelor's degree.

By kind, the 17 programs here are RN bachelor's degree (BSN, 6 programs), accelerated RN bachelor's degree (for graduates, 4 programs), RN associate degree (ADN, 3 programs), RN refresher course (3 programs), and 1 more of one other kind.

See the 17 programs

How much do RN programs cost in Colorado?

Two-year degrees (4 programs): $14,731 to $20,467all 4 with a price
Bachelor's degrees (10 programs): $11,050 to $41,575most of them
Other RN programs (3 programs): $2,251 to $2,500all 3 with a price

What you pay yourself for the whole program, as the schools report it. "Most" is the middle half of the programs with a price.

In the typical program

Finished the program: 75%
Working 6 months later: 67%
Earned a year, estimated: about $83,700
Length: Not enough data; 2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Colorado may also offer RN programs. How these figures are made

Are there free RN programs in Colorado?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.³⁴⁵For a degree, the job center first looks at grants such as a federal Pell Grant; WIOA pays toward what they don't cover.⁵
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁶ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁵
Or pay yourself. Two-year degrees here cost $14,731 to $20,467.Bachelor's degrees here mostly cost $11,050 to $41,575.Other RN programs here cost $2,251 to $2,500.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

How to pay for RN programs in Colorado

WIOA funding can pay for RN programs in Colorado

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for RN programs

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁷⁸

GI Bill for RN programs

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁹

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

LPN or RN in Colorado?

The programs Colorado approved for workforce funding in each, side by side. The figures are the typical program's, as on the two pages.

	LPN	RNthis page
Programs	4 at 3 schools	17 at 7 schools
Most cost, if you pay yourself	Not enough data	$11,050 to $33,930
Length	Left out	Left out
Finished the program	Not enough data	75%
Working 6 months later	Not enough data	67%
Earned a year, estimated	Not enough data	about $83,700
Trained with WIOA funding	Not reported	Not reported

Already working as an LPN? 1 of the 17 RN programs in Colorado are LPN-to-RN bridge programs, which lead to a two-year degree.

LPN vs RN nationwide: what each job does, the license exams and how to get from one to the other

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024. Earnings are the second quarter after leaving the program, times four.

Quick facts: RN programs in Colorado

programs with a price cost under $10,000: 3 of 16
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare: 19th of 39
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less: 31 of 31
RN programs here, against the typical state's 17: 17 vs 17

State comparisons use the same figures as the RN programs by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

RN programs in Pueblo, Denver, Rifle and other Colorado cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Colorado

How RN programs compare with the rest of nursing and patient care: Nursing and patient care programs in Colorado

Where the Colorado RN program numbers come from

Which Colorado RN programs are on this list?

These are the RN programs Colorado approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).¹⁰ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Colorado offers.

How the prices and results of Colorado RN programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

How reliable are the Colorado figures?

The US Department of Labor's own results site lists Colorado among the states with "known data quality concerns".¹¹ The figures here are shown as the state reported them; check them with the school before you enroll.

Sources for the facts about RN programs in Colorado

Show the 11 sourcesHide the sources

Nursing and patient care

Medical office and lab

General healthcare

Skilled trades

Transportation and logistics

Computers and IT

Business and office

Beauty and personal care

Public safety

Food and hospitality

Education and social services

RN programs in Colorado

How much do RN programs cost in Colorado?

Are there free RN programs in Colorado?

All 17 RN programs in Colorado approved for WIOA funding

Associate Degree Nursing 3

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing 1

Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing 2

Associate Degree Nursing 1

R.N. Refresher Program

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN 4

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) 1

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) 2

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) 3

RN Refresher

Basic BSN Nursing Program 1

Basic BSN Nursing Program 2

Paramedic to ADN Nursing

RN - BSN Refresher Program

Associate Degree Nursing 2

Accelerated BSN Program

Bachelor of Nursing - Accelerated