Principles of Statistics
Self-paced online Principles of Statistics course (Statistics 101). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →ColoradoNursing
RN to BSN in Colorado: the general education credits you can finish online
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
For an RN to BSN in Colorado, the nursing courses come from your BSN school, but general education such as Statistics, English Composition, Psychology and Sociology is where outside credit is most often considered. Ask your BSN programme in writing which of those it would take via a college transcript before you enrol in any course.
Where the general education fits
An RN-to-BSN degree adds upper-level nursing courses to the associate degree you already hold. Most schools also need a set of general education and elective credits before they award the bachelor's. Those general education credits are where students most often bring outside credit.
Colorado has several routes, including university RN-to-BSN programmes and BSN completion at some community colleges. Each sets its own general education list and transfer rules.
General education courses that often appear
Lists differ, but these subjects come up again and again in Colorado nursing pathways. CU Nursing's bachelor's list, for example, includes statistics, sociology, general and developmental psychology, English composition and humanities.
| Subject | UPI Study course | Recommended credits |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | Principles of Statistics | 3 |
| English composition | English Composition 1 and 2 | 3 each |
| General psychology | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| Sociology | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Humanities | Humanities Critical Thinking and Analysis | 3 |
What to ask your BSN programme
Send the list of courses you plan to take, with their credit recommendations, and ask three questions.
- Which of these general education requirements do I still need?
- Would you take each course via a college transcript from a partner such as TESU or UoPeople?
- Is there a limit on transfer credit or a residency rule for the bachelor's?
How the credit reaches your BSN school
UPI Study courses are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended. They reach your BSN school only via a college transcript. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; once a college posts the credit, you send that transcript to your BSN programme like any other.
Time this before your BSN application or early in the programme, so the registrar has the credit on file before you plan your final terms.
Mistakes that cost RN-to-BSN students time
The most common mistake is taking a course before checking whether it is still needed. Many associate degree nurses already have English Composition and General Psychology from their first degree. Ask for an unofficial transcript evaluation before you add anything.
The second is taking a course at the wrong level. Some BSN programmes want upper-level electives or a specific statistics course, and a general course may not fill that line. Match each planned course to a named requirement on your degree audit.
The third is leaving the transcript step to the last term. A college must post outside credit before your BSN school can evaluate it, and each step can take weeks. Finish general education early, while you take the nursing courses.
- Get a degree audit before you enrol in anything
- Match each course to a named requirement
- Ask about upper-level and residency rules
- Send transcripts early, not in your last term
A realistic timeline and cost
Four general education courses at a steady pace take two to three months on UPI Study PRO at $99 a month, so about $198-$297. The same four courses at Pueblo Community College, at $183.75 per credit hour in state with the COF stipend, come to about $2,205 before fees. Add the time and any fee for the college transcript step.
Working nurses often take one course at a time around shifts. Self-paced courses fit that pattern, as long as your BSN programme has agreed to the credit first.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your Colorado nursing programme in writing, course by course, whether it would take each UPI Study course via a college transcript, including any online lab, before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
Can I finish RN-to-BSN general education online in Colorado?
Many Colorado RN-to-BSN students take some general education online. Whether outside credit counts depends on your BSN programme. Ask it in writing which general education it still needs and whether it would take each course via a college transcript before you enrol.
Do I need statistics for a BSN in Colorado?
Most BSN programmes ask for statistics, and CU Nursing's bachelor's prerequisite list includes it. Check your own programme's list. If statistics is required, ask whether a course such as Principles of Statistics, posted on a college transcript, would count.
Do RN-to-BSN credits from UPI Study replace nursing courses?
No. Our courses are general education such as statistics, psychology and English. The upper-level nursing courses come from your BSN school, and no outside course replaces them or clinical requirements.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
English Composition 1
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Introduction to Sociology
Self-paced online Introduction to Sociology course (Sociology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Get your programme's written answer first, then start with Statistics, Psychology and English.
Sources
- Front Range Community College: Westminster nursing associate degree admissions (official)Prerequisites BIO1010, BIO2101 A&P I with lab, ENG1021 or 1022, PSY2440; BIO2104 Microbiology with lab and a nutrition course may be in progress; C or higher and 3.0 GPA; sciences within 10 years; transfer courses must already show on the FRCC transcript. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- CU Anschutz College of Nursing: CU Bridge nursing bachelor's admissions (official)Traditional BS pathway lists anatomy, physiology, microbiology, statistics, general chemistry, psychology, developmental psychology, nutrition and more; one science lecture needs a lab; C or better; most courses taken at CU Denver, up to 9 prerequisite credits transferred in. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.