A new nursing school will open minutes from Cottonwood Heights, arriving as Utah reshapes how it trains healthcare workers. Chamberlain University is opening its first Utah campus in Salt Lake City in October, bringing new training capacity to a state that ranks last nationally in nurses per capita.

The campus will welcome its first pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing class on Oct. 26. The campus is located at 9490 South 300 West in Sandy. It's Chamberlain's 26th location nationwide, a state with roughly seven registered nurses per 1,000 residents, according to World Population Review's state-by-state ranking.

The Salt Lake metro records more than 24,000 open healthcare job postings over the course of a year, with more than five open positions for every available job seeker, according to the Covista Care Capacity Monitor, a survey fielded by Gallup.

Chamberlain President Amelia Manning said the university wants to "make it easier for the next generation of Utah nurses to train here, stay here, and step into this community ready to care for the patients who need them," according to the school's announcement. Manning said Chamberlain aims to expand education capacity in a state she described as deeply committed to growing its healthcare workforce.

Utah pushing for more

House Bill 265, signed by Gov. Spencer Cox in 2025, requires Utah's public colleges and universities to reallocate funding toward high-demand programs as the state works to keep pace with workforce needs. State lawmakers have specifically identified nursing as one of the fields facing shortages. Utah is a state with roughly seven registered nurses per 1,000 residents, according to World Population Review's state-by-state ranking.

Executive campus director Trevor Scott said students "will learn to think and act like nurses" and will have "the knowledge and training that patient care demands" by the time they sit for licensing exams, according to a Chamberlain newsroom release. More than 200 Chamberlain alumni already work in patient care across Utah.

What the campus offers

The Salt Lake City campus distinguishes itself with evening and weekend classes, letting students earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in three years without leaving their jobs. They'll train in a simulation center and complete clinical rotations at local health system partners.

More than 90% of Chamberlain students nationally receive some form of financial aid, according to the university's campus page.

Executive campus director Trevor Scott said the incoming students are entering a healthcare sector supported at the local and state level. Chamberlain, owned by Covista (NYSE: CVSA), serves about 40,000 students across its campuses and counts more than 200 alumni already practicing in Utah.

Classes begin Monday, Oct. 26. The campus is accessible from Cottonwood Heights and Holladay via I-15 or the TRAX Blue Line's Historic Sandy and Sandy Expo stations.