The Top 2 Year Nursing Programs in Colorado Springs in 2026
As a Higher Education Reform Expert in the USA, I analyze trends in higher education across the country to provide recommendations on improving access, affordability, and outcomes. Nursing is a critical field where two-year associate degree programs can prepare students to enter the workforce quickly with the skills needed to provide high-quality care. Colorado Springs has several excellent two-year nursing programs that are affordable and set graduates up for success. In this blog post, I will provide an expert overview of the top programs in 2024 based on curriculum, outcomes, cost, and reputation.
Arapahoe Community College
Arapahoe Community College (ACC) has offered a two-year Associate Degree in Nursing program in Littleton, just south of Denver, for over 30 years. The program has a strong reputation locally for quality instruction and high NCLEX-RN exam pass rates consistently over 90% for first-time test takers.
The curriculum provides a solid foundation in care across lifespan and care settings with courses in fundamentals, medical-surgical, pediatrics, obstetrics, behavioral health, and geriatrics. Students apply learning in the simulation lab and through clinical rotations at hospitals and clinics across the Denver metro area and complete over 700 hours of hands-on training.
ACC has highly qualified faculty, many with advanced degrees and years of experience, using cutting edge simulation technology and with small class sizes of 8-10 students per instructor in clinicals. This allows for individualized instruction, feedback, and mentorship.
The total cost of the 2-year program is approximately $15,000 for in-state students. ACC partners with Colorado Mountain College for seamless transfers for BSN completion in an additional year for around $7,000 more. Graduates have high job placement with starting salaries between $60,000-$70,000 in Colorado.
With its strong reputation, affordability, quality instruction and job placement, ACC is likely to continue to be a highly competitive top choice option for a two-year pre-licensure RN program in 2024.
Pikes Peak Community College
Pikes Peak Community College (PPCC) offers an Associate Degree in Nursing program on its Centennial campus located right in Colorado Springs. The two-year program admits just 36 students each fall, keeping cohort numbers small.
PPCC has been training nursing students for over 50 years and the selective program has an excellent reputation locally. NCLEX pass rates are typically over 90% for first-time test takers. The curriculum covers medical-surgical, pediatrics, obstetrics, behavioral health and geriatrics through a balance of lectures, simulations, skills practice and over 700 hours of clinical rotations.
Students work with highly experienced faculty in state-of-the-art simulation labs and develop clinical competency through practice at hospitals and clinics across the Colorado Springs area. This positions graduates well for the local job market. PPCC partners closely with healthcare employers for clinical placements and job opportunities for graduates. Average starting salary for graduates ranges $65,000-$75,000 in Colorado.
At around $15,000 total for in-state students, PPCC‘s nursing program is very reasonably priced for a selective, quality program with strong job prospects for graduates. This makes it a likely competitive option that will continue among top two-year nursing choices in 2024.
Emily Griffith Technical College
Located in downtown Denver just an hour drive north, Emily Griffith Technical College offers a two-year Associate Degree in Nursing. The program admits 72 full-time and 72 part-time students each fall across a main campus and two satellite locations.
Emily Griffith has offered nursing education for over 35 years with curriculum covering fundamentals, medical-surgical, mental health, pediatrics, obstetrics and community health through an equal balance of theory and clinical work. Students apply learning in over 600 hours of supervised clinical rotations at healthcare facilities across the Denver metro area.
NCLEX pass rates for first-time test takers are quite good at 80-90%. Emily Griffith nursing graduates have a strong reputation among local employers, easing entry into the job market with average starting salaries of $60,000-$70,000 in Denver. At around $11,500 total for in-state students, Emily Griffith offers an affordable two-year nursing degree option as well.
With its long track record, clinical partnerships across Denver, good graduate outcomes and low cost relative to other programs, Emily Griffith is likely to remain a competitive top choice for two-year nursing degrees in 2023 among students willing to commute or relocate.
Recommendations for Improvement
While Colorado Springs and the state more broadly have quality two-year nursing programs, there are opportunities entertain partnerships between the top programs to align admissions and transfer options to streamline credit transfer.
Additionally, the Colorado Nursing Association and leading hospital systems across the state could jointly fund scholarships and loan repayment programs in exchange for service commitments post-graduation to invest in the development of nurses while addressing shortages.
Most two-year programs focus primarily on hospitals and clinics for clinical training. More collaboration with long-term care facilities could expand employment prospects for graduates. Partnerships with four-year universities for early assurance programs giving associate degree graduates reserved seats for Bachelor‘s programs would also promote higher educational attainment.
Overall, Colorado‘s two-year nursing programs position graduates well to enter the field, but cross-institutional alignment and partnerships could enhance outcomes further. Investments could also secure a pipeline of trained nurses to meet growing healthcare demands across settings in the state.