2026 DataSource: state boards of nursing · National avg 87.5%

Best NCLEX Pass Rates 2026 — Top Nursing Schools Ranked

The top U.S. nursing schools ranked by first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate. All data sourced from state boards of nursing — no estimates, no fabricated rankings. For broader filtering, methodology, and per-state views, see all NCLEX pass rates or our ranking methodology.

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Top 50 Schools — First-Time NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (2026)

Rank	School	State	Pass Rate
1	Sierra College	California	100.0%
2	Marquette University	Wisconsin	100.0%
3	King University	Tennessee	100.0%
4	Mid-State Technical College	Wisconsin	100.0%
5	Hagerstown Community College	Maryland	100.0%
6	University of Louisiana Monroe	Louisiana	100.0%
7	Green River College	Washington	100.0%
8	Kilgore College	Texas	100.0%
9	Lanier Technical College	Georgia	100.0%
10	West Virginia Northern Community College	West Virginia	100.0%
11	Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College	Kentucky	100.0%
12	Georgia State University – Perimeter College	Georgia	100.0%
13	Northeast Texas Community College	Iowa	100.0%
14	Chattahoochee Technical College	Georgia	100.0%
15	College of Western Idaho	Idaho	100.0%
16	Ventura College	California	100.0%
17	Northern Kentucky University	Kentucky	100.0%
18	Ivy Tech Community College – Evansville	Indiana	100.0%
19	Missoula College – University of Montana	Montana	100.0%
20	West Shore Community College	Michigan	100.0%
21	Texas State University – St. David's School of Nursing	Texas	100.0%
22	Athens Technical College	Georgia	100.0%
23	Schreiner University	Texas	100.0%
24	Texas State University	Texas	100.0%
25	Abilene Christian University	Texas	100.0%
26	Bellingham Technical College	Washington	100.0%
27	Longwood University	Virginia	100.0%
28	University of Houston College of Nursing	Texas	100.0%
29	Chemeketa Community College	Oregon	100.0%
30	Linn-Benton Community College	Oregon	100.0%
31	McHenry County College	Illinois	100.0%
32	Texas Christian University	Texas	100.0%
33	Lakeshore Technical College	Wisconsin	100.0%
34	LeTourneau University	Texas	100.0%
35	Victoria College	Texas	100.0%
36	Grand Rapids Community College	Michigan	100.0%
37	West Virginia University – School of Nursing	West Virginia	99.2%
38	Mott Community College	Michigan	99.1%
39	Grayson College	Texas	99.1%
40	University of Wisconsin–Madison – School of Nursing	Wisconsin	99.0%
41	Texas A&M University College of Nursing	Texas	99.0%
42	Texas A&M University	Texas	99.0%
43	Stephen F. Austin State University	Texas	99.0%
44	Texas Lutheran University	Texas	98.9%
45	Texas Lutheran University – Nursing	Texas	98.9%
46	Gonzaga University	Washington	98.9%
47	Mesa Community College	Arizona	98.8%
48	Saddleback College	California	98.8%
49	Northcentral Technical College	Wisconsin	98.5%
50	Florida Gulf Coast University	Florida	98.4%

Ranked by most recent reported first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate per school. Single-year figures for small programs can be volatile; treat multi-year trends as more reliable.

What counts as a “best” NCLEX pass rate?

Programs at or above 87.5% (the current NCSBN national first-time NCLEX-RN average) are above average. Programs above 95% are considered excellent, but small cohort sizes can cause year-to-year variance — always check at least three years of history before drawing conclusions.

Does a high NCLEX pass rate mean a school is the right fit?

Not by itself. Pass rate is one of several signals — admissions selectivity, clinical placement quality, cost, and program length matter too. Use this list to shortlist, then dig into each school's history and your own constraints.

Where does this ranking data come from?

State boards of nursing publish institutional NCLEX pass rates annually. We compile the most recent reporting year per school and rank by first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate.

How often is this list updated?

Daily. Underlying data refreshes when state boards publish new reports — typically once per year, after the prior NCLEX testing year closes. Current dataset year: 2026.

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