Board-reported · 2025

NCLEX Pass Rates — Illinois Nursing Schools (2025)

As of 2025, 17 Illinois schools reported first-time RN NCLEX pass rates of 71.0–100.0%, per IDFPR Illinois Board of Nursing — NCLEX Examination Summary Data (2025 report). Dataset average 89.2% (national reference 86.7%). Only display-eligible cohorts of 10+ first-time candidates are shown.

Illinois average: 89.2%; +2.5 pts vs national
National: 86.7%; NCSBN 2025
Schools reported: 17; Cohorts of 10 or more
At 90% or higher: 10

Board-reported outcomes

Every Illinois program the board reports, ranked by first-time pass rate. Schools listed on this site link to their profiles.

10 of 17

First-time RN NCLEX pass rates for Illinois, ranked by pass rate. National average 86.7% marked on each bar.
#	School	Credential	Pass rateNational 86.7% marked	N	Status
1	McHenry County College	—	100.0%	29	On site
2	Waubonsee Community College	—	98.0%	45	On site
3	Oakton Community College	—	97.0%	34	On site
4	Judson University / Ambria CON	—	95.0%	40	On site
5	Mennonite Nursing at Illinois State Univ.	—	94.0%	239	On site
6	Kankakee Community College	—	93.0%	41	On site
7	Kaskaskia College	—	91.0%	94	On site
8	Illinois Valley Community College	—	90.0%	51	On site
9	Rush University	—	90.0%	134	On site
10	Triton College	—	90.0%	21	On site
11	Loyola University	—	89.0%	266	On site
12	DePaul University	—	87.0%	121	On site
13	Illinois Central College	—	87.0%	75	On site
14	South Suburban College	—	87.0%	15	On site
15	CAAN Academy of Nursing	—	80.0%	15	On site
16	Chamberlain College of Nursing	—	77.0%	867	On site
17	Heartland Community College	—	71.0%	35	On site

Source: IDFPR Illinois Board of Nursing — NCLEX Examination Summary Data (2025 report). Last verified Oct 1, 2026.

Programs accepting applications

Compare Illinois ADN and BSN programs

The pre-licensure programs that lead to the NCLEX-RN. Check each school against the board-reported table above.

Next step in Illinois

All nursing programs in IllinoisEvery accredited Illinois ADN, BSN, and LPN program in one directory, with pass rates where reported.
Fastest nursing programs in IllinoisAccelerated BSN, LPN-to-RN, and short ADN routes, with program length in months.
Affordable programs in IllinoisCompare listed tuition in Illinois once you have the pass-rate picture.
Programs for working adults in IllinoisFlexible online and hybrid tracks for students who need to keep working.
Online nursing programs in IllinoisDidactic coursework online with local clinicals — same-state authorization still applies.
RN-to-BSN in IllinoisAlready licensed? Bridge to a BSN without repeating NCLEX prep.

Find Illinois programs with strong pass rates near you

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Illinois programs with strong pass rates you can apply to

On-site listings from our directory with first-time pass rates at or near the top of the table. Board-reported rates above remain the source for licensure outcomes.

McHenry County College
100.0% first-time RN
See start dates and apply
Waubonsee Community College
98.0% first-time RN
See start dates and apply
Oakton Community College
97.0% first-time RN
See start dates and apply

Already licensed? Next credentials for Illinois nurses

Pass rates and sticker price are for the first license. Working RNs in Illinois often stack an online RN-to-BSN, then an NP specialty. Online RN-to-BSN options serving Illinois include Walden University at $27,710 listed total tuition in our directory. Illinois is a reduced-practice state: nurse practitioners must maintain a career-long collaborative agreement with another health provider for at least one element of practice (often prescriptive authority), which limits fully independent practice.

What is the average NCLEX pass rate for Illinois nursing schools?

The average NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate for schools in Illinois is 89.2%, compared to the national average of 86.7%. Display-eligible school rates in our table range from 71.0% to 100.0%. Source: IDFPR Illinois Board of Nursing — NCLEX Examination Summary Data (2025 report).

How do I find nursing schools with high NCLEX pass rates in Illinois?

Use the board-reported table on this page — 17 Illinois board-reported first-time RN rates from cohorts of 10+ candidates. Compare those rates against the state average (89.2%) and the national reference (86.7%). Small cohorts under 10 candidates are excluded because 100% rates from tiny samples are statistically unreliable.

Which programs are included in the NCLEX outcomes table for Illinois?

The primary table lists 17 live-directory schools with display-eligible, board-reported first-time RN NCLEX rates (latest year, N≥10). A secondary directory section may list programs serving Illinois that also publish a program-level figure — treat board data as authoritative for licensure outcomes.

Compare nursing programs in Illinois

Illinois nursing reference

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