2021 - Best Nursing Schools in Wyoming

One of the best in the entire state, Central Wyoming College proudly calls itself the cultural center for the region. The college has outreach centers located in Lander, Jackson, and Dubois, and each of them is designed to meet the needs of the community they serve. If you are looking for a college experience that is fulfilling and that prepares you for the life you want to lead, then there is no better option than Central Wyoming College. With faculty that care about you and the learnings of community enrichment calls, professional development, adult education, and career readiness, you can be assured that this college does more than give you a degree; they educate you for life.

Central Wyoming College has merged innovation with instruction to prepare professional nurses who can take on any challenge when it comes to nursing education. They use a team-based learning strategy (TBL) which encourages active learning through the use of small group classroom activities. The students are taught professional teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills, much like how they would work in real healthcare settings. 

In addition to that, students also get access to state-of-the-art simulation labs where they can perfect clinical skills in a controlled environment while also practicing teamwork.

Undergraduate Programs: Their Associate Degree In Nursing (ADN) program prepares nurses for professional practice when they become RNs. The graduates of the ADN program of Central Wyoming College are able to adjust quickly to the complex and ever-changing global healthcare environment.

Furthermore, there is also an LPN to RN completion program for LPNs who wish to advance their career further and become competent RNs.

If you want to be a part of a college experience that is very much in touch with nature and adventures, then there is no better option than the University of Wyoming's Fay. W. Whitney School of Nursing. UW connects you with 30 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails, 300 miles of snowmobiling trails, and more than 100 miles of mountain bike trails, as well as fishing, rock climbing, national forest excursions, etc. So if you are an aspiring RN with an adventurous soul, then this brilliant outdoor school is where you should be headed.

In addition to access to adventures, UW also offers affordable tuition and substantial financial aid, so no great mind is deprived of quality education.

UW's Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing has an excellent track record when it comes to the NCLEX-RN passing rates, which is no surprise really, given the qualified faculties, excellent simulation labs, and clinical rotations in some of the state's best health care centers. All the nursing programs in this school prepare nurse leaders to provide compassionate and quality healthcare that is patient-focused and aimed to uplift the health status of everyone under their care.

Undergraduate Programs: The Basic BSN is a four-year course where 48 students prepare for their NCLEX-RN and life as professional healthcare providers in advanced classrooms and clinical simulation centers.

UW also has an accelerated BSN option for students with a previous non-nursing undergraduate degree who want to become registered nurses. The Bachelors Reach for Accelerated Nursing Degree or BRAND is a distance program that takes students to Wyoming's rural and isolated healthcare centers so that the students learn to grow on their own. 

There is also a program called BSN Completion available for two types of students. The first is the RN-BSN program which aims to provide BSN degrees to RNs. The second is Wyoming's ReNEW (Revolutionizing Nursing Education Education in Wyoming) program, where students are eligible to enroll in the ReNEW BSN degree simultaneously with their ADN programs.

Graduate Programs: The Master of Science Program (MS) at UW prepares nurse educators or nurse leaders who aim to advance nursing education and practice. Nurses who have already completed their BSN degree are eligible to apply for this part-time online course.

Their distance accessible DNP program is designed for nurses who want to get their doctoral degree as in Family Nurse Practitioner or Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.

They also offer a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences where postgraduates are prepared for long-term competitive success in the rapidly changing and multifaceted health-related arena of the modern world.

First established as Wyoming's first junior college, Casper College has a whopping 28 buildings and spans 200 acres. The college prides itself in providing a big city feel without the big city hassle. 

The student to faculty ratio here is 13:1, and almost 86% of the faculty have a master's or doctoral degree. Thus, students here benefit from individualized interaction with the faculty as they develop themselves as professional nurses ready to provide quality care in any kind of health care facility. There are also several scholarships and financial aid options available, and each year the college awards a substantial amount of aid to students. 

The nursing students learn clinical skills in high-fidelity simulation labs and practice them in a variety of health clinics around the state under the guidance of excellent instructors. Some of the nursing programs can be taken online and are also transferable.

Undergraduate Programs: Casper College offers a two-year ADN degree which is a statewide curriculum. You can also easily transfer your ADN degree to the University of Wyoming and complete your bachelor's degree online. The program allows for Fall and Spring applications.

In addition, Casper College also has an LPN to RN program, which starts in Spring and Summer. 

Casper College is also one of the nursing colleges in Wyoming that offer the ReNEW (Revolutionizing Nursing Education in Wyoming) curriculum, under which students in the ADN program can successfully sit for their NCLEX-RN and begin working as RN as they complete the ReNEW BSN.

The Sheridan College of Northern Wyoming Community College encourages quality and affordable education. With more than $3 million spent on scholarships and financial aids every year, this college offers something for everyone. They also claim to have one of the strongest nursing programs in the region and looking at their recent NCLEX-RN passing rates, and they are undoubtedly right as well. The college keeps its classes small and diverse, allowing the students to get individualized attention from highly skilled instructors. 

The nursing program at Sheridan College prepares its students to practice effective problem-solving, decision-making, and conflict management strategies. The students also learn communication skills and health evaluation strategies of diverse populations. The degree prepares nurses to become RNs or enroll in advanced degrees and training pertaining to nursing. With their strong partnerships with regional hospitals, dental offices, rehab centers, and other healthcare facilities in the area, Northern Wyoming Community College District is thoroughly invested in providing its students with the hands-on learning experience they need to become successful RNs.

Undergraduate Programs: NWCCD offers a fully online Associate Degree in Health Sciences (Associate of Science in Health Science) program, which is considered an effective stepping stone to work as RNs or get admissions in advanced degrees. Students are free to choose electives in the program that are preferred for a nursing pathway and which help to create strong applications for Nursing Programs.

Located in Powell, WY, this public college is one of the best in the state when it comes to its nursing program. With almost 19 technical degrees, 22 certificates, and 45 transfer degrees, Northwest College leaves no stone unturned when it comes to providing affordable education. It also allows students to thrive in a safe and family-like environment. The college awards more than $5 million in grants and scholarships annually so that finance does not stand in the way of quality education. 

Being an outdoor institution, Northwest College allows students to immerse themselves in the beauty of Yellowstone country while taking classes both in the field and the classroom. The courses are designed to provide the students with practical, technical, and leadership skills. All three of which are vital when it comes to being a successful nurse and making a significant difference in the global healthcare situation. The courses are available full-time, part-time, or as single courses, and they can be online, traditional, or hybrid, according to the campus. Northwest College is all about finding what's best for you and becoming esteemed healthcare professional.

Undergraduate Courses: The college offers a five-semester ADN program designed to prepare nurses for their LPN NCLEX exam or advanced degrees like BSN. The degree is available in both Powell Campus and Cody Campuses.

The Powell RN Program is delivered in a traditional format in a small classroom size of 24 students. Students practice their clinical skills in the classroom, labs, and local healthcare centers.

On the contrary, the NWC Cody RN Program is delivered in a hybrid format that comprises lectures, face-to-face labs, and hospital rotations. Each year 16 students are admitted in the Spring semester in the Cody cohort.

One of the state's best affordable colleges, Western Wyoming Community College, is all about providing quality, individualized education. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1, the graduates from this community college only have good things to say about the individualized attention and guidance they have gotten from the faculty. Along with multiple degree options and stellar placements, the college also has 21 student clubs that provide students with leadership opportunities while also teaching them teamwork, independence, cooperation, and problem-solving skills. 

The nursing program at Western makes optimum use of modern technology to provide students with the opportunity to practice in safe, controlled, yet high-end environments that closely resemble the real field. The simulation labs have all the mannequins and technologies that allow students to practice all kinds of complex nursing skills. The nursing exams are also computerized so that the students are prepared for the real licensure examination. The theory classes are available online while opting for face-to-face interactions for lab, clinical, and simulation. This college has all the makings of a great place for prospective nurses to learn and thrive, and their NCLEX passing rate, which is above national and state averages, proves exactly that.

Undergraduate Programs: The college offers an ADN degree for nurses looking to dive into healthcare and prepare for further advancements in the field.

They also offer the ReNEW RN to BSN program in which students in the ADN program can also enroll simultaneously in a BSN program in other colleges in Wyoming.

Students can also choose to transfer their ADN degree to Western Wyoming Community College from other parts of the nation. Or they can opt to go for their Practical Nursing Certificate, which allows them to take their PN licensure exam and practice in various settings.

Laramie County Community College aims not just to educate their students but also to prepare their students to integrate into the high-tech modern world successfully. They instruct their students in state-of-the-art Smart classrooms that are fully equipped and highly functional. They also have a state-of-the-art science complex as well as a high-tech health science center along with a physical education complex. This community college is focused on providing comprehensive education to students, which helps them to become highly valuable members of the society.

The nursing education at LCCC is designed to provide all the necessary skills and knowledge that students require to pass their NCLEX as well as to practice as exemplary nurses. The students are taught in classrooms as well as in healthcare settings under the guidance of excellent faculty. The college also houses a high-fidelity simulation lab to train the students in a controlled environment. Nursing graduates of LCCC have been working in multiple health care settings, including outpatient clinics, schools, and even the military.

Undergraduate Programs: LCCC offers a four-semester ADN program which is also a part of Wyoming state's ReNEW program. After completing the prerequisites and the first two semesters of ADN, students are given the option to take the optional PN Exploration course that gives them the ability to earn a certificate and take the NCLEX-PN exam, thereby making them eligible to practice as LPNs.

LCCC also has an LPN Advanced Placement program for students who have completed two consecutive semesters of nursing school. This course allows LPNs to take the NCLEX-RN and become RNs.