Chamberlain University is accepting applications for a new nursing campus in Sandy that offers a three-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree with no prerequisite courses and no application fee.

The campus at 9490 South 300 West is Chamberlain's first physical location in Utah. Classes are set to begin Oct. 26, according to the university's blog post announcing the program. The direct-entry model skips the year or more of prerequisite science courses that most BSN programs require before students can even apply, and the program blends on-campus and online coursework with flexible scheduling designed for working adults.

Trevor Scott, executive campus director for the Sandy location, said the timing is right for aspiring nurses in Utah specifically, given the state's demand for healthcare workers and the number of new facilities opening along the Wasatch Front.

Utah's nursing picture

Graduates will enter a healthcare job market where demand outstrips supply. The Salt Lake City area 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. Covista is Chamberlain's parent company, so the figures are company-sourced rather than independent.

Utah ranks 49th nationally for nurses per 1,000 residents, according to multiple analyses of federal data. But the picture is more nuanced than a simple crisis. Marla De Jong, dean of the University of Utah College of Nursing, told the Deseret News in March that the state is faring better than some and not experiencing a major shortage at the moment, but warned that new facilities opening across Utah will drive fresh demand.

"We have to start educating for that now, because if we don't stay ahead of that, then we will be back into a deficit," De Jong said in the same March interview.

A gap that keeps widening

Utah isn't standing still. The University of Utah Health broke ground in 2025 on the Eccles Health Campus and Hospital in West Valley City, backed by a $75 million gift from the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation. That facility is expected to open an outpatient center and emergency room by 2028, with a full hospital by late 2029, serving more than 725,000 residents west of I-15.

But new hospitals need nurses to staff them.

Utah's existing training pipeline produced 3,453 first-time NCLEX-RN candidates in the first three quarters of 2025, with an 80.63% pass rate, below the 86.7% national average for U.S.-educated candidates, according to National Council of State Boards of Nursing data. Nationally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 189,100 RN openings per year through 2034.

What prospective students need to know

The Sandy campus sits on the third floor at 9490 South 300 West, accessible via the TRAX Blue Line at the Historic Sandy or Sandy Expo stations and off Interstate 15 at Exit 295.

Key details:

• Program: Three-year BSN, accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Chamberlain holds accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission and state-level approvals from the Utah Board of Nursing.
• Prerequisites: None required.
• Application fee: None. Typical nursing-school fees run $50–$100.
• Financial aid: More than 90% of Chamberlain students receive some form of aid. The university awarded more than $14 million in scholarships and grants for pre-licensure programs in 2025.
• Start date: Oct. 26, per the university's announcement.
• Apply: chamberlain.edu/saltlakecity

More than 200 Chamberlain alumni already live and practice in Utah. According to its own materials, Chamberlain says it graduates more BSN students than any other university in the country. Nationally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 189,100 registered nurse openings annually through 2034. The median RN salary was $93,600 in 2024; Utah's average in acute-care settings runs about $74,000.

Campus hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The admissions line is 855-541-5853.