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Gov. Polis cuts the ribbon on UNC's newest medical school, located in Greeley.
Gov. Polis cuts the ribbon on UNC's newest medical school, located in Greeley.
UNC opens Colorado’s third medical school in Greeley
ColoradoBiz Staff //July 27, 2026//
In Brief:
- University of Northern Colorado opens third medical school
- First class includes 81 students with over half from Colorado
- State allocated $128 million for medical school construction
- House Bill 24-1231 funds healthcare education across four colleges
GREELEY — The University of Northern Colorado has opened the state’s third medical school, with its first class of 81 students scheduled to begin coursework next week.
Just over half of the students enrolled in the UNC College of Osteopathic Medicine are Colorado residents. The school is intended to train physicians and help address health care workforce shortages across the state.
“Across the country, we are facing a shortage of health care professionals, and the grand opening of the UNC College of Osteopathic Medicine will help train the next generation of doctors,” Gov. Jared Polis said.
The state provided $128 million toward the construction of the medical school through House Bill 24-1231, a bipartisan measure signed in 2024. The legislation allocated $247 million for health care education projects at UNC, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado State University and Trinidad State College.
Colorado also has provided free training to more than 10,000 health care workers through Care Forward Colorado, including more than 2,600 certified nursing assistants, 3,500 emergency medical technicians and 1,100 medical assistants. According to early state data, more than 90% of program graduates are employed in health care roles.
