Colorado opened its third medical school July 24, the University of Northern Colorado College of Osteopathic Medicine in Greeley.
The state-funded school will welcome 81 students in its inaugural class, with just over half from Colorado, according to a news release from Gov. Jared Polis. The 110,000-square-foot facility was funded by $128 million from a bipartisan law Mr. Polis signed in 2024, which invested $247 million across four Colorado higher education institutions to bolster the state’s healthcare workforce, according to the release.
The school is projected to graduate 150 physicians per academic year once fully accredited, according to its website. It received pre-accreditation from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation in December 2025.
“Colorado now has a new medical school, and 81 doctors-to-be start classes next week,” Mr. Polis said in the release. “This medical school strengthens our healthcare workforce and helps ensure every Coloradan has access to the best-trained healthcare professionals.”
The school is one of several new medical schools opening nationwide as the industry contends with a projected physician shortage that could reach 86,000 by 2036, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
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