Compare Colorado ABSN Programs

Last Updated: October 1, 2026

Compare nine accelerated or BSN completion options with Colorado campuses or learning sites, plus two out-of-state hybrid programs that accept eligible Colorado residents. Nursing sequences range from 12 to 21 months, with differences in prior-degree requirements, clinical travel and application timing.

Reviewed tuition estimates range from approximately $25,074 to $60,520, before most fees, prerequisites and living expenses. Public-university resident estimates assume eligibility for Colorado’s College Opportunity Fund (COF); UW–Oshkosh’s published package includes software and NCLEX preparation.

Colorado ABSN Programs at a Glance

How to Compare Colorado ABSN Programs

• Fastest nursing sequence: CU Anschutz and Regis and Western Colorado University take 12 months locally; UW–Oshkosh also takes 12 months but requires Wisconsin attendance.
• Prior college credit without a bachelor’s: UCCS has a second entry pathway, while GCU accepts qualifying prior college credits.
• Residency-sensitive cost: CSU Pueblo, UCCS, CU Anschutz and MSU Denver estimates depend on resident status and COF availability.
• Same tuition rate across residency categories: UNC publishes a single Extended Campus rate; private-school pricing and UW–Oshkosh’s package also use different models from Colorado resident tuition.
• Distance coursework: Joyce and UW–Oshkosh accept Colorado residents but require out-of-state attendance and approved clinical placements.

Programs pursuing accreditation: the Englewood BSN is pursuing initial CCNE accreditation and does not yet hold national nursing accreditation. Western Colorado University’s BSN is also pursuing initial CCNE accreditation and is not yet nationally accredited in nursing. GCU’s Colorado approval status is separate from GCU’s institutional accreditation and accredited nursing offerings elsewhere.

Program Format and Attendance

Western Colorado, CU Anschutz, Regis, UCCS, MSU Denver and CSU Pueblo combine campus instruction with labs, simulation and clinical experiences. UNC includes selected hybrid coursework, but all courses have in-person requirements in or around Greeley and the Front Range.

GCU’s Englewood model pairs online theory with regular attendance at its learning site and clinical facilities. It is not a remote-only program. UCCS specifically requires students to live in or relocate to Colorado.

Joyce uses primarily asynchronous online theory, Utah skills immersions and assigned clinical experiences. Its 20-month minimum depends on 46 qualifying transfer credits, including specified anatomy/physiology and statistics work; students needing more coursework follow a longer plan.

UW–Oshkosh requires a two-week Wisconsin residency and an initial faculty-supervised clinical rotation there. Later rotations follow RN preceptors’ schedules and may involve nights, weekends, holidays and significant travel. Its current placement guidance also calls for discussing hospital-employment requirements with the program.

Denver College of Nursing offers a seven-quarter, 21-month completion route with hybrid classroom instruction and in-person laboratories and clinicals. Its published 100 program credits are quarter credits; they should not be compared directly with other schools’ semester-credit totals.

Admissions and Prerequisite Differences

Common preparation includes anatomy, physiology, microbiology and statistics, but course equivalencies and recency rules vary. CSU Pueblo uses five-year limits for specified subjects; UCCS uses ten years for science prerequisites. UNC has ten-year requirements with named exceptions, while UW–Oshkosh’s FAQ says prerequisites do not expire.

Joyce incorporates supporting sciences into its published curriculum; that flexibility does not mean every applicant can finish in 20 months. Regis’s catalog and program guidance differ on selected grade and science-recency details, so an individual transcript evaluation is particularly useful there.

Start Dates and Application Deadlines

Summer-only programs provide fewer entry opportunities than programs with multiple starts. Prepare transcripts, testing and clinical clearances early; a published deadline does not guarantee seats remain available.

Tuition and Costs

The opening table compares full nursing-sequence tuition estimates, not annual cost-of-attendance budgets. Current rates are applied across verified credits and term loads; later academic-year increases may raise actual charges.

Western Colorado and CSU Pueblo have the lowest reviewed resident tuition figures before fees. Western’s pending nursing accreditation is a separate factor to consider. UNC’s uniform residency rate can be useful for out-of-state applicants. Neither comparison guarantees the lowest total cost after clinical travel, insurance, prerequisites, living expenses and individual aid.

COF eligibility matters for students who have already completed a degree: do not assume enough supported credits remain. Consult each school’s billing guidance and your individual aid evaluation before treating resident estimates as your expected bill.

Clinical Training and Outcomes

Schools combine simulation, laboratory learning and supervised patient care, but published totals use different definitions. CU Anschutz’s catalog conversion yields about 760.5 face-to-face hours from 25.35 clinical credits; MSU Denver publishes at least 750 clinical hours; Regis reports more than 750 clinical education hours, including a final 180-hour precepted experience.

UW–Oshkosh lists 728 clinical hours across six rotations. Joyce’s 517.5 hours combine simulation and direct patient care and should not be ranked against bedside-only totals. UCCS and CSU Pueblo embed clinical experiences in their required course sequences.

CSU Pueblo assigns placements across Pueblo, Colorado Springs and southeastern Colorado. CU Anschutz’s placement guidance allows assignments throughout Colorado, while MSU Denver warns that rotations may extend from Greeley to Colorado Springs. A school-arranged placement is not a guarantee of a short commute or a particular hospital.

CU Anschutz lists 15,000 square feet of simulation space at Anschutz and 2,500 at Legacy, using manikins, standardized patients and virtual reality. Regis and other campus programs also combine simulation with specialty clinical practice.

For a clearly identified accelerated cohort measure, MSU Denver reports first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates of 100% in 2023, 92% in 2024 and 90% in 2025. Its department’s separate 100% one-year job-placement statement does not identify an ANO-only cohort. Compare like-for-like reporting years and populations rather than treating school-wide results or rankings as ABSN-specific outcomes.

Colorado ABSN Program Summaries

CSU Pueblo ABSN Program

Pueblo | $25,293 | 14 Months

CSU Pueblo’s 14-month accelerated BSN starts in summer and integrates 74 nursing credits with clinical, lab and simulation learning. Its Summer 2027 application specifies a prior health-science-related bachelor’s degree. Estimated resident tuition with eligible COF support is about $25,293, with mandatory fees additional... read more.

CU Anschutz ABSN Program

Lone Tree | $33,198 | 12 Months

CU Anschutz’s 12-month UCAN pathway combines 66 nursing credits with in-person classes in Lone Tree and Aurora. Spring and fall starts are available; healthcare experience is required. Estimated resident tuition after eligible COF support is $33,198, with fees additional... read more.

Denver College of Nursing Accelerated BSN Program

Denver | $52,863 | 21 Months

Denver College of Nursing’s 21-month prelicensure BSN completion route has four annual starts. Applicants may qualify with a prior degree or the required general education credits. Published tuition is $52,863; the 2026 catalog lists $62,687 including specified fees, supplies and books... read more.

Grand Canyon University ABSN Program

Englewood | $53,550 | 16 Months

GCU’s Englewood learning site offers a 16-month hybrid ABSN with online theory and required local labs, simulation and clinical rotations. Estimated tuition is $53,550 for 63 accelerated credits, with fees additional. Colorado’s program is pursuing initial CCNE accreditation and does not yet hold national nursing accreditation.

Joyce University ABSN Program

Colorado clinical placements; Draper, UT immersions | $60,520 | 20 Months

Joyce’s hybrid second-degree BSN integrates required sciences and combines online coursework with Utah skills immersions and assigned clinical placements. Completion in as few as 20 months requires qualifying transfer credits. Estimated tuition is $60,520, with a separate $3,710 NCLEX Resources Fee. Clinical schedules and locations are assigned and may require travel; the 517.5 training hours combine simulation and direct care.

MSU Denver ABSN Program

Denver | $29,308 | 4 Terms

MSU Denver’s campus-based Accelerated Nursing Option spans four consecutive terms and 63 nursing credits, including a senior clinical experience. Fall 2027 applications close February 15, 2027. Estimated resident tuition with eligible COF support is about $29,308, with mandatory fees additional... read more.

Regis University ABSN Program

Denver | $38,336 | 12 Months

Regis University’s 12-month, campus-based Accelerated BSN has January and May starts. Its 64-credit nursing curriculum includes three graduate-level courses, more than 750 clinical education hours and a final 180-hour precepted experience. Estimated tuition is $38,336, with required fees additional... read more.

UCCS ABSN Program

Colorado Springs | $32,776 | 16 Months

UCCS’s in-person, 16-month Accelerated BSN starts in summer and includes 68 nursing credits. It offers pathways for bachelor’s-degree holders and applicants with qualifying prior college credits. Estimated resident tuition after eligible COF support is $32,776; nursing and campus fees are additional... read more.

University of Northern Colorado ABSN Program

Greeley | $35,145 | 20 Months

UNC’s 20-month second-degree BSN starts in May and combines Greeley classes, selected hybrid coursework and clinical experiences along the Colorado Front Range. Estimated tuition is $35,145 at the 2026–27 rate for 71 nursing credits, the same for resident and nonresident students... read more.

University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh ABSN Program

Colorado clinical placements; Oshkosh, WI residency | $50,338 | 12 Months

UW–Oshkosh accepts eligible Colorado residents for its 12-month hybrid ABSN, subject to clinical placement feasibility. Online theory is paired with a required two-week Wisconsin residency and subsequent precepted rotations. The published $50,338 tuition package includes software and NCLEX preparation; travel and other costs are separate.

Western Colorado University ABSN Program

Gunnison | $25,074 | 12 Months

Western Colorado University’s 12-month accelerated BSN in Gunnison emphasizes rural healthcare across 66 nursing credits. Healthcare or related professional experience is required. Published resident tuition after eligible COF support is $25,074, plus $4,064 in required fees. The BSN is pursuing initial CCNE accreditation... read more.