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 32 Schools — First-Time NCLEX-RN Pass Rate (2025)

Rank	School	State	Pass Rate
1	Marquette University	—	100.0%
2	Georgetown University	—	100.0%
3	Regis College	—	100.0%
4	Texas A&M University	—	98.3%
5	University of Florida	—	98.0%
6	Sacred Heart University	—	98.0%
7	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	—	98.0%
8	Boston College	—	98.0%
9	Liberty University	—	97.9%
10	Seton Hall University	—	97.4%
11	University of Pittsburgh	—	97.2%
12	Vanderbilt University	—	97.0%
13	University of Tennessee at Knoxville	—	97.0%
14	University of South Florida	—	97.0%
15	DePaul University	—	97.0%
16	University of Alabama at Birmingham	—	96.7%
17	University of Colorado — Anschutz Medical Campus	—	96.7%
18	Loyola University Chicago	—	96.4%
19	Grand Canyon University	—	95.6%
20	Villanova University	—	95.6%
21	University of Cincinnati	—	95.1%
22	Emory University	—	95.0%
23	Duke University	—	95.0%
24	Arizona State University	—	95.0%
25	Case Western Reserve University	—	95.0%
26	University of Texas at Arlington	—	93.3%
27	University of Michigan — Flint	—	93.0%
28	Western Governors University	—	91.8%
29	Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences	—	91.2%
30	Michigan State University	—	89.9%
31	Indiana State University	—	89.0%
32	Arizona College of Nursing	—	88.3%

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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