The University of Northern Colorado held a grand opening for its new College of Osteopathic Medicine on Friday, with Gov. Jared Polis in attendance to celebrate the culmination of a two-year, $127.5 million project.

The project was funded through legislation in 2024, which also provided money for a new health institute tower at Metropolitan State University Denver scheduled to open next year, a veterinary health complex at Colorado State University and renovations at Trinidad State College’s Valley Campus.

“All across our state, Colorado is experiencing a shortage of critical health care and veterinary providers, which is why we are standing up new medical and veterinary programs to train the next generation of professionals in these fields,” said Sen. Lindsay Daugherty, D-Arvada, who sponsored the 2024 law. “With this legislation, Colorado will be better positioned to train and educate future osteopathic doctors, veterinarians, nurses, and other critical allied health care providers.”   

A legislative analysis said the College of Osteopathic Medicine is expected to generate about $1.4 billion in economic impact over the next two decades and graduate 150 new osteopathic doctors into the workforce each year.

Like many parts of the country, Colorado is facing a significant health care worker shortage following the pandemic. According to a 2025 report by the Colorado Hospital Association, nearly 70% of hospitals in the state were operating on “unsustainable” margins in 2024.