2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
In 2021-2022, 319,502 degrees and certificates were awarded to nursing students, making the major the most popular in the country.
With all the nursing programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
The Best Nursing Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 71 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region to see which ones offered the best programs for nursing students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a .
Top 10 Best Nursing Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of Providence the best school in the Rocky Mountains Region for nursing students. University of Providence is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Great Falls.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at University of Providence take out is $16,698.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Governors University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in the large suburb of Salt Lake City, WGU is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from WGU carry an average student debtload of $11,568.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. RMUoHP is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Provo.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at RMUoHP take out is $104,164.
Read full report on Nursing at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions
The excellent programs at Platt College - Aurora helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in the Rocky Mountains Region . Platt College - Aurora is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Greenwood Village.
On average, nursing graduates from Platt College - Aurora take out $41,237 in student loans while working on their degree.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Carroll College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Carroll Montana is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Helena.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Carroll Montana take out is $27,000.
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the large city of Denver, CU Anschutz is a public college with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at CU Anschutz take out is $43,423. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $211.
Full Nursing at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Report
Lewis - Clark State College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in the small city of Lewiston, Lewis - Clark State College is a public school with a small student population.
Nursing majors at Lewis - Clark State College take out an average of $15,838 in student loans while working on their egree.
Carrington College, Boise came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Carrington College, Boise is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Boise.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Carrington College, Boise carry an average student debtload of $26,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $262, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
University of Northern Colorado did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #9 on the list. University of Northern Colorado is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize city of Greeley.
On average, nursing graduates from University of Northern Colorado take out $36,495 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $225, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
With a ranking of #10, Red Rocks Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Red Rocks Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Lakewood.
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students in the Rocky Mountains Region that almost earned our Best Nursing Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Denver College of Nursing | Denver, CO |
| 12 | University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY |
| 13 | Westminster College Utah | Salt Lake City, UT |
| 14 | Pikes Peak Community College | Colorado Springs, CO |
Best Nursing Colleges by State
Explore the best nursing colleges for a specific state in the Rocky Mountains region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Colorado | 6,496 |
| Utah | 17,535 |
| Montana | 745 |
| Idaho | 1,593 |
| Wyoming | 397 |
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
Nursing Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 262,974 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 16,647 |
| Nursing Practice | 8,862 |
| Nursing Administration | 8,663 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 4,717 |
| Nursing Science | 4,701 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,895 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,075 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 2,011 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,768 |
| Critical Care Nursing | 747 |
| Geriatric Nurse/Nursing | 622 |
| Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery | 567 |
| School Nursing | 539 |
| Clinical Nurse Leader | 502 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 340 |
| Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing | 269 |
| Women’s Health Nurse/Nursing | 262 |
| Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing | 192 |
| Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing | 87 |
| Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing | 26 |
| Forensic Nursing | 23 |
| Palliative Care Nursing | 13 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 85,339 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.
More about our data sources and methodologies.