LPN Programs in Colorado Springs, Colorado 2027

What does it take to become an LPN in Colorado Springs when the city itself has almost no practical nursing programs? The Colorado Springs metro area employs around 710 LPNs, with UCHealth Memorial, Penrose-St. Francis, and the VA Eastern Colorado facility among the major local employers, yet local diploma and certificate options number in the single digits. Most aspiring nurses here will weigh a commute to LPN programs in Denver, a hybrid online program with local clinicals, or one of the region's few in-person seats.

Accredited programs accepting Colorado students, current tuition ranges, NCLEX-PN pass rates, and salary benchmarks for the Colorado Springs market determine which options are realistic. Jump straight to the program list →

Why Colorado Springs Needs More LPNs: Local Healthcare Landscape

Hospital name recognition and actual LPN hiring volume are two different things in Colorado Springs. UCHealth Memorial Hospital, CommonSpirit Health's Penrose-St. Francis system, Children's Hospital Colorado South Campus, and the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System anchor the region's acute care landscape and shape its reputation, but the steadiest LPN hiring actually runs through skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care, and home health agencies. CommonSpirit does staff LPN II roles locally, often part-time night shifts requiring a high school diploma or GED and around two years of recent experience, and St. Francis Hospital posts PRN LPN openings for its acute units. Beyond the hospital names, though, facilities like Sunny Vista Living Center, The Center at Cordera, Parkmoor Village, Colonial Columns, Skyline Ridge, Springs Ranch, and Brookdale represent the bulk of day-to-day LPN demand, alongside home health providers such as Penrose Home Health and A Better Colorado Home Health Care Agency.¹

Population Growth and an Aging Region

Colorado Springs continues adding residents, and the surrounding El Paso County population is aging alongside national trends. That combination pushes demand into long-term care, home health, and outpatient clinics rather than only hospital floors, which is why staffing agencies like PACS actively recruit LPNs across the region's skilled nursing facilities.²

Scope of Practice Matters

Colorado LPNs can pursue IV therapy certification, broadening their employment options compared to states with narrower scope rules. That flexibility helps explain why long-term care and home health employers value LPNs so highly here.

Nearby Markets Worth Watching

Students willing to commute or relocate should also track LPN programs in Denver (60 miles), opportunities in Pueblo (45 miles), Castle Rock (50 miles), Fountain (15 miles), and Woodland Park (25 miles). Understanding this employer map before enrolling in LPN programs in Colorado helps students choose clinical sites strategically and target realistic job markets after licensure.

Can You Complete an LPN Program Online From Colorado Springs?

An online LPN program for Colorado Springs students is not a fully remote degree. The didactic portion, lectures, readings, and exams, happens online, but supervised clinical training must be completed in person at an approved Colorado healthcare site. Colorado Springs has just one fully local LPN program, Pikes Peak State College, so students who need a different format typically choose an accredited online or hybrid program that accepts Colorado residents for the theory portion. This hybrid structure is built into the state's rules.

How Clinical Hours Work in an Online LPN Program

Colorado requires at least 400 clinical hours for practical nursing programs. A 2026 Colorado example lists 405 practicum hours across four clinical experiences, with shifts generally running 8 to 12 hours. Some programs require more: Colorado Technical University states 630 direct-care clinical hours for its nursing students. Treat any program promising significantly fewer hours as a warning sign for NCLEX-PN eligibility.

Placement Coordination in Colorado Springs

Most online LPN programs do not leave students to arrange clinical sites alone. A clinical coordinator typically starts by contacting facilities near the student. For most schools, that coordinator contacts approved facilities and submits required paperwork. Some programs also let students suggest a preceptor, but the school still must approve the site to meet Colorado requirements.

At UCHealth Memorial, the school coordinator must submit requests through My Clinical Exchange at least eight weeks before the desired start date. The eight-week lead time matters because clinical placements are competitive and paperwork can delay a start date. UCHealth lists Memorial Hospital Central, Memorial Hospital North, and Memorial Urgent Care, Circle Square as Colorado Springs student locations, but placement availability is not guaranteed. CommonSpirit is another major Colorado Springs health system, though its student clinical placement process for LPNs is less clearly published, so students should confirm directly with the program.

Verify Colorado Board of Nursing Approval

Before enrolling, confirm the program is approved by the Colorado Board of Nursing and that its clinical model meets state requirements. That approval, not marketing language about "online flexibility," is what protects your path to the NCLEX-PN.

In-Person LPN Options Near Colorado Springs

Limited seats and selective admissions have become the norm for practical nursing programs along the Front Range, so prospective LPN students in Colorado Springs need a clear picture of what is available locally and what might require a commute. The closest in-person options are organized by proximity rather than rank.

Pikes Peak State College

Pikes Peak State College (PPSC), located on the south side of Colorado Springs, offers a certificate-level Practical Nursing program and remains the only accredited PN track headquartered in the city itself. Admission is competitive: the college requires a completed TEAS exam, and all prerequisite coursework must be finished before you apply. Prerequisites include ENG 1021 (English Composition 1, 3 credits, completed within the last 15 years) and a qualifying anatomy and physiology sequence, either BIO 1006 or BIO 201/2101 (4 credits, completed within the last 7 years with a minimum grade of C). Applicants must also hold an active Colorado CNA credential or complete NUA 1001/NUA 1070 through the Colorado Community College System. If you earned your CNA through a private or out-of-state program, you will need to obtain Colorado certification before applying.

The application itself is free and takes about 10 minutes to submit. Published per-credit costs range from roughly $276 to $772, depending on residency and fee category, so total tuition will vary. Cohort sizes are limited, and prospective students should expect the possibility of a waitlist. The college has reported strong NCLEX results overall, but a program-specific NCLEX-PN pass rate for the most recent testing year has not been independently confirmed at this time.

Pima Medical Institute: Colorado Springs Campus

Pima Medical Institute does have a campus at 5725 Mark Dabling Boulevard in Colorado Springs, but its current program offerings at that location focus on dental, medical, and veterinary assistant and technician tracks. Practical Nursing is not listed among the Colorado Springs campus programs. Pima does operate a Practical Nursing program with full Colorado State Board of Nursing approval at its Aurora campus, about 70 miles north. That program runs in an on-ground and hybrid format, costs approximately $29,045 in total (including roughly $24,420 in tuition, a $150 registration fee, and a $2,058 technology fee based on 2024 figures), and requires 405 clinical hours. Eligibility is limited to Colorado and New Mexico residents.

Denver-Area Alternatives Within Commuting Distance

Students willing to drive 60 to 90 minutes north can explore additional DORA-approved PN programs in the Denver metro area:

• Emily Griffith Technical College: Located in downtown Denver, Emily Griffith offers a well-established Practical Nursing certificate and is one of the LPN programs in Denver. Admission is competitive, so check current waitlist timelines early.
• Pickens Technical College: Situated in Aurora, Pickens is one of the LPN programs in Aurora with a structured PN certificate pathway.
• Pima Medical Institute, Aurora: As noted above, this campus carries full State Board approval for its PN program and may suit Colorado Springs students who prefer Pima's hybrid scheduling.

When weighing these options, consider commute time against class schedules and clinical placement locations. A Denver-area program with evening or weekend didactic sessions might fit your work life better than a local program with limited daytime-only cohorts. Confirm current enrollment windows and any waitlist status directly with each school before committing.

LPN Salary and Job Outlook in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs offers LPN wages that sit well above the national median, reflecting strong demand across the region's growing healthcare sector. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 710 LPNs are employed in the Colorado Springs metropolitan area. For context, the national median hourly wage for LPNs was $26.26 as of the most recent published data (May 2022), while Colorado Springs LPNs earn a median closer to $32.87 per hour. Although Colorado Springs cost of living runs higher than the national average, particularly in housing, these above-average wages help offset local expenses. Metro-specific data for Denver and Pueblo have not yet been published in the latest available release, so direct regional comparisons are limited at this time.

Colorado LPN Licensing Steps: From Classroom to NCLEX-PN

Colorado's Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) oversees LPN licensure through its Board of Nursing. The process involves several sequential steps, and total costs run approximately $285 to $340 depending on fingerprinting vendor fees. If you already hold an active LPN license in another state, DORA offers a separate endorsement application that can streamline the process, though you may need to complete a refresher course if your license has been inactive or you have not practiced within the past two years.

NCLEX-PN Pass Rates for Colorado LPN Programs

Colorado's first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate landed at 86.0% in 2025, according to the NCSBN's annual exam statistics, just 0.3 percentage points below the national first-time rate of 86.3% for the same testing year.¹ That's a narrow gap, and it tells prospective LPN students that Colorado programs, taken as a whole, are preparing graduates at a level roughly on par with the rest of the country.

What the Statewide Number Means

The 86.0% figure is a jurisdiction-wide average covering every approved LPN program in Colorado, not a school-by-school breakdown. It's useful context, but it won't tell you whether a specific program near Colorado Springs, including Pikes Peak State College's LPN track, is outperforming or lagging that average. For program-level detail, the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) publishes an approved nursing education program report that breaks down pass rates by school. Anyone comparing local options , including LPN programs in Aurora or LPN programs in Denver , should pull that report directly rather than relying on the statewide figure alone.

Why Pass Rates Matter in Your Decision

A program with a consistently strong first-time pass rate usually reflects solid classroom instruction, realistic clinical preparation, and NCLEX-focused test prep built into the curriculum. Weak or volatile pass rates, on the other hand, often point to gaps in faculty support or outdated exam prep resources. Since your license depends on clearing the NCLEX-PN, this single metric deserves real weight when you're narrowing down programs.

Online Programs Complicate the Comparison

Online LPN programs serving Colorado Springs students often report pass rates as a national aggregate rather than broken out by state, since their students test in multiple jurisdictions. That makes an apples-to-apples comparison harder. If you're considering a distance-based option, ask the admissions office directly for Colorado-specific first-time pass rates before enrolling, and don't assume a strong national number automatically applies to Colorado test-takers.

Top Online LPN Programs for Colorado Springs Students

While most LPN programs require substantial hands-on clinical training that must be completed in person, several schools offer hybrid formats that allow Colorado Springs students to complete didactic coursework online before fulfilling clinical requirements locally. The programs below represent a mix of local and distance-accessible options that serve students in the Colorado Springs area, ranked by program quality, affordability, and student outcomes.

Data sources: Independent program research · National Center for Education Statistics (NCES-IPEDS) (nces.ed.gov) · U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov)

LPN Tuition and Financial Aid for Colorado Springs Students

The gap between public and private LPN tuition in Colorado Springs has widened enough that cost, not just format, now drives where students enroll.

Comparing the Sticker Price

Pikes Peak State College remains the low-cost anchor for the region. In-state tuition and fees for its practical nursing program run a fraction of what students pay at Pima Medical Institute or through most private online-hybrid providers that serve Colorado Springs remotely. Community college pricing typically lands in the low thousands per year once fees are included, while private and online-hybrid programs often price a full practical nursing sequence in the fifteen-to-twenty-five-thousand-dollar range. That spread is the single biggest factor separating otherwise comparable programs on the rankings above.

Financial Aid Worth Investigating

Few LPN students pay full price, and Colorado Springs applicants have several layers of aid to stack.

• Federal Pell Grants: Available to eligible students at any Title IV-participating program, public or private, and typically the first aid source financial aid offices apply.
• Colorado state grant funding: State-funded grant programs reduce need-based gaps for Colorado residents attending in-state institutions, though private and online programs may not qualify.
• Pikes Peak Workforce Center funding: Workforce development dollars, including funding tied to high-demand occupation lists, can cover tuition and testing fees for residents who qualify through income or dislocated-worker status.
• Employer tuition reimbursement: Local health systems and long-term care employers increasingly offer reimbursement or forgivable loans to CNAs and techs who commit to working as an LPN after graduation.

Debt Load Versus Starting Pay

Where program-level debt figures are reported, practical nursing graduates generally carry lower loan balances than students in longer degree programs, since the credential itself takes a year or less. Still, a modest loan balance translates into a real monthly payment, and it is worth asking the Is Becoming an LPN/LVN Worth It? question while running that number against an LPN's early-career paycheck before enrolling, particularly for private program borrowers who did not qualify for state grant support.

Look Past the Tuition Line

When comparing the Cost of LPN Programs & Schools, weigh total cost of attendance, not just tuition. Uniforms, background checks, malpractice coverage, clinical supplies, NCLEX-PN testing fees, and travel to assigned clinical sites all add up, and these extras hit online-hybrid students especially hard if their clinical placement sits far from home.

Career Pathways After LPN Certification in Colorado

Practical nursing in Colorado has moved from a terminal credential to a deliberate launch point for stackable career progression. For certified nursing assistants in Colorado Springs, the CNA to LPN Programs route is the most direct upward move: many LPN programs grant credit or priority placement for active CNA experience, and the clinical hours logged in long-term care directly support the transition to medication administration and supervisory tasks.

From CNA to LPN in Colorado Springs

A CNA can enter a 12-month LPN program and, after passing the NCLEX-PN, step into roles that carry more assessment responsibility and higher pay than a CNA position. Working LPNs in the Colorado Springs area commonly find employment in skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, physician offices, correctional facilities, and school nurse roles. Each setting tends to reward a different skill mix: skilled nursing emphasizes wound care and restorative nursing, while home health and school settings value independence and communication.

LPN-to-RN Bridge Options

After one to two years of LPN practice, Colorado LPNs can pursue an LPN to RN in Colorado bridge. Pikes Peak State College offers an ADN pathway that accepts LPNs and can shorten the route to registered nursing. For those aiming at a bachelor's degree, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs provides BSN options that build on prior nursing coursework and licensure. A common timeline is: 12-month LPN program, entry-level LPN work, one to two years of experience, LPN-to-RN bridge, then BSN completion within four to five years total.

Expanded Scope and Workforce Support

Colorado LPNs can also pursue IV therapy certification to expand their scope. LPNs with IV certification often qualify for additional responsibilities in acute care, infusion clinics, and home health, and employers may offer higher pay for that credential. Colorado's nursing workforce initiatives increasingly include tuition support for LPN-to-RN advancement, making the bridge a realistic next step rather than a distant goal.

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Salary Snapshot: What Colorado Springs LPNs Earn

LPN wages in the Colorado Springs metro area run well above the national median of roughly $59,730. Entry-level LPNs here can expect to start near $60,000, while experienced nurses in the middle of the pay scale earn about $68,360. Top earners, often those working in specialized settings such as surgical centers or home health agencies, push past $76,000 annually.

Choosing the Right LPN Program From Colorado Springs

Colorado law requires every practical nursing program to hold current approval from the Colorado Board of Nursing, a division of DORA, before its graduates can sit for the NCLEX-PN. That single fact should be the first filter you apply to any school, whether it's a campus down the road, such as the LPN programs in Aurora or the Best LPN Programs in Denver, or a fully online option based out of state.

Start With Accreditation, Not Marketing

A polished website or a fast-track promise means nothing if the program lacks Board approval. Cross-check the school's status directly with DORA's nursing division before submitting an application or a deposit. This takes fifteen minutes and eliminates programs that won't actually make you eligible to test.

Ask Who Arranges Clinical Sites

This is where online programs diverge sharply. Some coordinate clinical placements at partner facilities near Colorado Springs on your behalf. Others expect you to secure your own preceptor and site, a real burden in a market where hospitals and long-term care facilities already juggle placement requests from multiple schools. Ask this question before enrolling, not after your first didactic term ends.

Match the Schedule to Your Life

Pikes Peak State College's evening and weekend cohorts suit students tied to daytime jobs or caregiving duties. Self-paced online coursework offers more flexibility but demands discipline, since clinical rotations still run on fixed calendars regardless of how fast you moved through lecture content.

Weigh the Outcome Data

Compare NCLEX-PN pass rates and graduate employment figures across your shortlist. A program with a strong pass rate and clear job placement outcomes is telling you something concrete about instructional quality, not just brand reputation.

Before you commit tuition dollars, call DORA yourself. Verify the program's approval status in writing. It's the single most important step in this entire process.