2025 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 (2025)

Rank	School	State	Pass Rate	Candidates
1	Ventura College	California	100.0%	77
2	Hagerstown Community College	New York	100.0%	67
3	Georgetown University	—	100.0%	0
4	Excelsior University	New York	100.0%	2
5	Marquette University	—	100.0%	0
6	Sierra College	California	100.0%	33
7	Northeast Texas Community College	Iowa	100.0%	52
8	Regis College	—	100.0%	0
9	Saddleback College	California	98.8%	82
10	Florida Gulf Coast University	Florida	98.4%	63
11	Texas A&M University	—	98.3%	0
12	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	—	98.0%	0
13	Sacred Heart University	—	98.0%	0
14	Boston College	—	98.0%	0
15	Liberty University	—	97.9%	0
16	Rockland Community College	New York	97.9%	97
17	Kirkwood Community College	Iowa	97.4%	78
18	Seton Hall University	—	97.4%	0
19	University of Pittsburgh	—	97.2%	0
20	Vanderbilt University	—	97.0%	0
21	DePaul University	—	97.0%	0
22	University of Tennessee at Knoxville	—	97.0%	0
23	University of Alabama at Birmingham	—	96.7%	0
24	University of Colorado — Anschutz Medical Campus	—	96.7%	0
25	Florida International University	Florida	96.5%	114
26	Loyola University Chicago	—	96.4%	0
27	Hudson Valley Community College	New York	96.1%	77
28	Nevada State University	Nevada	96.0%	252
29	Florida State College at Jacksonville	Florida	96.0%	149
30	Gavilan College	California	95.8%	24
31	Grand Canyon University	—	95.6%	0
32	Villanova University	—	95.6%	0
33	Arizona State University	—	95.0%	0
34	Emory University	—	95.0%	0
35	Duke University	—	95.0%	0
36	Finger Lakes Community College	New York	94.9%	59
37	American Career College	California	94.8%	272
38	Daytona State College	Florida	94.7%	187
39	Seminole State College of Florida	Florida	94.5%	146
40	University of Florida	Florida	94.3%	106
41	Southern Maine Community College	Ohio	93.9%	33
42	Columbus State Community College	Ohio	93.9%	212
43	ECPI University	Florida	93.8%	16
44	Truckee Meadows Community College	Nevada	93.8%	64
45	Monroe Community College	New York	93.6%	93
46	University of Texas at Arlington	—	93.3%	0
47	South University	Florida	93.3%	15
48	University of Michigan — Flint	—	93.0%	0
49	University of South Florida	Florida	91.6%	203
50	North Iowa Area Community College	Iowa	91.4%	35

Programs with fewer than 25 first-time candidates are excluded to reduce small-cohort variance.

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, exclude programs with fewer than 25 first-time candidates, 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: 2025.

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