Chamberlain University's Nursing Program Comes to Salt Lake City, Utah

Nursing shortages remain one of the most persistent challenges facing healthcare nationwide.¹ Chamberlain University is stepping in with a response: Its first campus in Utah, opening in Sandy, just outside Salt Lake City. 

Starting Oct. 26, 2026, the campus will welcome its first Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) class. Whether you are already working in healthcare and ready to become an RN, considering a career change, or weighing your options as a recent graduate, here’s a closer look at the program and the campus. 

Is Now the Right Time? 

That’s a question only you can answer—but it might help to know Utah genuinely needs more nurses right now. Utah has just 1.4 licensed nurses per 100 residents—the fewest of any state in the country.² The Salt Lake City area alone sees more than 24,000 healthcare jobs go unfilled each year, with more than five open positions for every job seeker, according to the Covista Care Capacity Monitor. 

For prospective students, that demand is part of the draw: Nurses who graduate into a market that badly needs them tend to have real options for where and how they start their nursing career. If you’ve been deciding how to become a nurse, or you’ve just been waiting for the timing to make sense, the need for nurses is very real. 

What the Program Actually Looks Like 

Chamberlain’s approach to nursing education rests on three things: a clear path, real practice, and real support. 

• Our clear, three-year BSN program path is sequenced to move students toward graduation and licensure with purpose, starting from the first day of class. 
• Students get hands-on training in a high-tech SIMCARE™ CENTER, where they practice on realistic patient simulators and track their readiness through HESI exam benchmark testing along the way. 
• They also gain real clinical experience with health system partners across the region, so graduates enter the workforce with practical training. 

Executive Campus Director Trevor Scott is leading that vision on the ground. “Students at our Salt Lake City campus will do more than learn nursing. They will learn to think and act like nurses. By the time students graduate and sit for their licensing exam, they’ll have the knowledge and training that patient care demands.” 

Education Built for Where Health Care Is Headed 

Chamberlain is preparing students not just for nursing as it exists today, but for where the field is heading—and increasingly, that means artificial intelligence. 

Through a Chamberlain partnership with Google Cloud, students can earn the AI for Nursing Professionals certificate, built to help graduates walk into a clinical setting with a better understanding of the AI-assisted tools they’ll encounter and the ability to think critically about what those tools tell them. 

That kind of preparation matters to employers: Nearly three in four healthcare executives say AI proficiency is something they actively look for when hiring clinicians.³ 

Accreditation You Can Trust 

Choosing a nursing school starts with knowing the institution behind it is sound. Chamberlain University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and the Salt Lake City campus holds all necessary state-level approvals through the Utah Board of Nursing and the Utah Department of Commerce, Division of Consumer Protection (Higher Education Board). 

Chamberlain’s baccalaureate nursing program, master’s nursing program, Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and post-graduate APRN certificate program all carry Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accreditation. For the most current information, visit chamberlain.edu/accreditation. 

Life in Sandy, Utah 

The campus sits in Sandy, a suburb in the Salt Lake Valley just south of downtown Salt Lake City, with access to the region’s TRAX Blue Line light rail. It runs between downtown Salt Lake City and Draper with stops in Sandy, including Historic Sandy and Sandy Expo stations. The campus also has convenient access to I-15 for students commuting from elsewhere in the valley. 

For students relocating from out of state or commuting from neighboring counties, that combination of transit and freeway access is worth factoring into the decision. If you’re weighing the practical side of attending—commute time, transportation options, where you might live nearby—an Enrollment Representative can help you think through logistics specific to your situation. 

Ready When You Are 

Applications for the Salt Lake City campus are now being accepted, with classes beginning Oct. 26, 2026. And if you’re already thinking beyond your first nursing degree, Chamberlain also offers online master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs for when you’re ready to keep growing as a healthcare professional. 

If you’re interested in learning more about admission requirements, financial aid opportunities, schedules, or other features of the CCNE-accredited nursing program, visit chamberlain.edu or call 877-307-0149 to speak with an Enrollment Representative. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are the admission requirements for the Salt Lake City BSN program? 

Requirements can vary by session, so the most accurate, up-to-date answer comes from an Enrollment Representative, who can walk through prerequisites, transcripts, and timing based on your background. Visit chamberlain.edu/saltlakecity to connect with one directly. 

How does financial aid work for this program? 

Chamberlain offers federal financial aid options for those who apply and qualify, along with scholarships and grants for eligible students. Because every student’s situation is different, an Enrollment Representative can outline what applies to you specifically. 

If I start with a BSN, can I keep going with Chamberlain later? 

Yes. Chamberlain’s BSN degree is the first step in a broader continuum of nursing programs. Chamberlain offers RN to BSN and RN to MSN pathways, a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN degree) with nurse practitioner specializations, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Most of these paths are available online, so you can keep building your nursing career without switching institutions after earning your BSN in Salt Lake City. 

How is the Salt Lake City campus different from Chamberlain’s other locations? 

The program structure, accreditation, and Chamberlain Care® philosophy are consistent across Chamberlain’s campuses. What’s specific to Salt Lake City is the location itself—a Sandy-based campus with TRAX and I-15 access—and the fact that it’s the university’s first physical presence in Utah.

Chamberlain University, an HLC-accredited institution, offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs in nursing and healthcare professions. With a growing network of campuses and robust online programs, Chamberlain continues to build on more than 135 years of excellence in preparing extraordinary healthcare professionals. 

¹Source: www.icn.ch/resources/publications-and-reports/ind-2026-report 

²Source: www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/nursing/states-with-the-most-fewest-licensed-nurses-per-capita/ 

³Source: www.covista.com/research

By Chamberlain University