NCLEX Pass Rates (2024)

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Pass Rates

The NCLEX-RN pass rates for the five annual periods (July 1 - June 30) listed in this section reflect results for CA educated nursing program graduates/completers of CA BRN-approved pre-licensure RN programs. Note: Annual rates include all first-time exam testers taking the exam in a given annual period, even first-time testers who did not take the exam immediately following program completion/graduation.

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Blog Archives - Find Nursing Schools

Following posting of annual rates on the BRN website each October, pass rate changes/corrections may occur. Please contact the individual nursing education program with any questions about a program's annual rates. Each BRN-approved nursing program's contact information is available on our RN Programs page.

School	2018/2019		2019/2020		2020/2021		2021/2022		2022/2023
School	# Taken	% Pass	# Taken	% Pass	# Taken	% Pass	# Taken	% Pass	# Taken	% Pass
Allan Hanco*ck College	33	87.88%	33	78.79%	32	84.38%	33	87.88%	34	85.29%
American Career College	58	93.1%	68	92.65%	84	91.67%	62	88.71%	112	87.5%
American River College	80	100%	68	91.18%	67	92.54%	52	94.23%	76	89.47%
American University of Health Sciences	70	84.29%	48	79.17%	74	85.14%	103	75.73%	83	84.34%
Antelope Valley College	98	94.09%	107	94.39%	105	94.29	96	90.63%	75	93.33%
Azusa Pacific University - BSN	390	83.08%	363	83.75%	469	80.38%	514	80.16%	515	80%
Bakersfield College	127	96.06%	96	95.83%	129	96.12%	172	93.02%	173	90.17%
Biola University	44	93.18%	67	85.07%	46	89.13%	40	77.50%	62	82.26%
Brightwood College (Closed)	116	68.97%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	0%	N/A	N/A
Butte College	82	89.02%	115	92.17%	119	88.24%	125	82.40%	120	85.83%
Cabrillo College	57	91.23%	62	75.81%	66	71.21%	71	64.79%	33	93.94%
California Baptist University - BSN	150	90.67%	162	84.57%	155	87.74%	161	85.09%	234	85.47%
California Baptist University - MSN	38	84.21%	40	85%	42	85.71%	37	83.78%	37	81.08%
California Career College	38	78.95%	20	95%	49	89.8%	39	79.49%	61	78.69%
CSU Bakersfield	56	98.21%	48	97.92%	52	98.08%	61	98.36%	88	96.59%
CSU Channel Islands	58	98.28%	61	96.72%	59	91.53%	79	91.14%	76	94.74%
CSU Chico	76	98.68%	75	97.33%	77	96.1%	83	92.77%	95	90.53%
CSU East Bay	81	93.83%	130	94.62%	71	87.32%	129	80.62%	70	85.71%
CSU Fresno - BSN	114	92.98%	159	93.08%	113	92.04%	122	92.62%	132	89.39%
CSU Fresno - MSN (Closed Option)	1	100%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
CSU Fullerton	63	100%	58	96.55%	66	96.97%	75	98.67%	64	96.88%
CSU Long Beach	145	99.31%	134	99.25%	143	99.3%	143	97.20%	160	97.5%
CSU Los Angeles	101	96.04%	77	97.4%	87	95.4%	95	94.74%	102	93.14%
CSU Northridge	2	100%	N/A	N/A	39	97.44	86	84.88%	79	89.87%
CSU Sacramento	153	97.39%	136	98.53%	150	97.33%	155	93.55%	97	94.85%
CSU San Bernardino	110	90%	94	97.87%	96	91.67%	178	92.13%	118	95.76%
CSU San Marcos	208	97.12%	214	97.66%	155	96.13%	209	91.87%	235	89.79%
CSU Stanislaus	117	100%	56	98.21%	92	97.83%	105	96.19%	117	94.87%
Career Care Institute	N/A	N/A	14	92.86%	25	60%	30	56.67%	28	57.14%
Carrington College	69	78.26%	53	71.7%	63	73.02%	74	83.78%	70	72.86%
Cerritos College	74	86.49%	71	94.37%	51	94.12%	73	87.67%	53	92.45%
Chabot College	32	100%	28	100%	31	100%	33	96.97%	23	95.65%
Chaffey College	52	96.15%	70	98.57%	67	92.54%	41	80.49%	68	89.71%
Chamberlain University, Rancho Cordova	59	93.22%	91	97.8%	98	95.92%	108	88.89%	151	88.08%
Charles Drew University - MSN	30	86.67%	35	91.43%	56	83.93%	61	80.33%	72	83.33%
Citrus College	29	86.21%	29	93.1%	38	84.21%	30	93.33%	32	93.75%
City College of San Francisco	78	92.31%	75	90.67%	86	93.02%	83	91.57%	78	84.62%
CNI College - ADN	109	84.4%	109	88.07%	112	83.93%	208	86.06%	87	81.61%
College of Marin	42	95.24%	42	97.62%	42	95.24	39	94.87%	49	93.88%
College of San Mateo	47	97.87%	44	86.36%	48	93.75	53	92.45%	51	84.31%
College of the Canyons	93	89.25%	104	89.42%	93	90.32%	79	96.20%	96	85.42%
College of the Desert	46	93.48%	50	94%	38	86.84%	80	90%	91	91.21%
College of the Redwoods	44	97.73%	47	87.23%	53	94.34%	60	85%	80	91.25%
College of the Sequoias	79	97.47%	87	94.25%	107	87.85%	100	87%	102	95.1%
College of the Siskiyous (Closed)	30	96.67%	20	100%	25	96%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Compton College	N/A	N/A	31	93.55%	63	77.78%	62	79.03%	55	67.27%
Concordia University Irvine	113	99.12%	98	98.98%	67	95.52%	157	96.18%	122	95.9%
Contra Costa College	39	100%	42	90.48%	40	82.5%	36	83.33%	50	86%
Copper Mountain College	23	95.65%	31	87.1%	15	100%	27	74.07%	23	78.26%
Cuesta College	40	97.5%	37	97.3%	44	93.18%	82	97.56%	47	95.74%
Cypress College	89	91.01%	86	89.53%	88	85.23%	51	78.43%	55	89.09%
De Anza College	49	95.92%	43	95.35%	31	93.55%	51	86.27%	44	95.45%
Dominican University of California	98	85.71%	83	89.16%	118	84.75%	118	80.51%	139	71.94%
East Los Angeles College	75	74.67%	54	72.22%	54	64.81%	47	76.60%	35	85.71%
El Camino College	72	94.44%	61	91.8%	71	94.37%	77	93.51%	86	91.86%
El Camino College - Compton Education Center (Closed)	68	89.71%	40	95%	4	25%	1	0%	1	0%
Evergreen Valley College	75	96%	60	95%	82	90.24%	81	97.53%	56	96.43%
Fresno City College	186	84.95%	200	86.5%	207	80.68%	210	75.24%	237	74.26%
Gavilan College	21	100%	18	94.44%	19	100%	21	100%	18	100%
Glendale Community College	81	96.3%	79	98.73%	87	97.7%	76	97.37%	61	88.52%
Golden West College	84	82.14%	84	92.86%	83	91.57%	76	97.37%	80	92.5%
Grossmont College	75	100%	63	100%	36	100%	70	95.71%	68	98.53%
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts, Fresno - ADN	34	82.35%	58	79.31%	91	70.33%	107	63.55%	99	77.78%
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts, Concord - BSN	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	50	70%	98	87.76%
Hartnell College	42	100%	39	89.74%	44	97.73%	38	92.11%	40	82.5%
Holy Names University	2	50%	11	100%	12	100%	11	90.91%	13	92.31%
Imperial Valley College	48	93.75%	42	100%	45	93.33%	28	92.86%	26	100%
Loma Linda University	174	90.8%	154	91.56%	176	90.34%	146	79.45%	161	88.82%
Long Beach City College	73	94.52%	91	96.7%	85	90.59%	67	85.07%	65	84.62%
LA City College	61	96.72%	77	92.21%	71	91.55%	78	74.36%	48	81.25%
LA County College of Nursing & Allied	108	94.44%	101	92.08%	87	93.1%	87	87.36%	101	92.08%
LA Harbor College	73	97.26%	61	100%	53	96.23%	55	94.55%	46	93.48%
LA Southwest College	38	81.58%	35	74.29%	55	85.45%	43	79.07%	29	79.31%
LA Trade-Tech College	66	87.88%	63	80.95%	71	78.87%	70	82.86%	71	64.79%
LA Valley College	68	95.59%	72	94.44%	68	85.29%	61	90.16%	62	83.87%
Los Angeles Pierce College	69	98.55%	53	96.11%	56	92.86%	47	95.74%	37	89.19%
Los Medanos College	42	100%	37	81.08%	40	75%	36	97.22%	23	91.3%
Madera College	11	100%	13	84.62%	7	100%	12	83.33%	12	100%
Marsha Fuerst School of Nursing at Glendale Career College	91	91.21%	150	88%	127	91.34%	107	92.52%	155	85.16%
Mendocino College	19	84.12%	26	100%	23	95.65%	31	96.77%	27	96.3%
Merced College	53	94.34%	48	89.58%	66	81.82%	62	82.26%	53	83.02%
Merritt College	18	100%	21	100%	23	95.65%	9	77.78%	34	88.24%
Mira Costa College	55	100%	49	97.96%	45	95.56%	52	92.31%	40	92.5%
Mission College	26	76.92%	30	70%	27	81.48%	33	69.70%	30	83.33%
Modesto Junior College	111	96.4%	96	92.71%	122	94.26%	129	83.72%	86	93.02%
Monterey Peninsula College	23	100%	29	100%	31	93.55%	32	96.88%	34	94.12%
Moorpark College	60	95%	65	100%	78	100%	70	97.14%	62	100%
Mount St. Mary's University - ADN	117	57.26%	89	64.04%	64	73.44%	103	70.87%	82	60.98%
Mount St. Mary's University - BSN	135	89.63%	124	91.94%	142	85.92%	136	77.21%	169	81.66%
Mt. San Antonio College	105	95.24%	106	96.23%	65	89.23%	103	94.17%	115	88.7%
Mt. San Jacinto College	48	95.83%	42	100%	56	92.86%	44	84.09%	44	95.45%
Napa Valley College	30	96.67%	30	93.33%	32	93.75%	32	71.88%	37	89.19%
National University	298	89.6%	269	88.85%	282	89.36%	239	79.92%	227	75.77%
Ohlone College	32	96.88%	33	100%	35	88.57%	35	100%	34	73.53%
Pacific College	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	64	73.44%	118	77.12%
Pacific Union College	83	95.18%	89	96.63%	86	84.88%	92	90.22%	78	85.9%
Palomar College	69	92.75%	72	90.28%	39	92.31%	86	86.05%	75	96%
Pasadena City College	97	96.91%	90	92.22%	63	88.89%	96	89.58%	66	90.91%
Point Loma Nazarene University	57	87.72%	40	82.5%	71	78.87%	111	89.19%	76	88.16%
Porterville College	21	100%	18	77.78%	18	94.44%	30	76.67%	22	90.91%
Rio Hondo College	74	93.24%	78	98.72%	77	96.1%	53	98.11%	68	94.12%
Riverside City College	181	96.69%	180	91.11%	178	96.63%	177	96.05%	150	95.33%
Sacramento City College	58	98.28%	67	92.54%	59	100%	67	94.03%	58	94.83%
Saddleback College	108	97.22%	99	96.97%	82	95.12%	92	96.74%	90	98.89%
Samuel Merritt University - BSN	425	94.12%	409	93.4%	410	84.88%	433	85.45%	468	82.05%
Samuel Merritt University - MSN	86	90.7%	81	86.42%	97	82.47%	103	80.58%	97	78.35%
San Bernardino Valley College	75	85.33%	78	88.46%	85	81.18%	114	78.95%	90	73.33%
San Diego City College	65	98.46%	52	100%	52	100%	63	98.41%	47	100%
San Diego State University	115	97.39%	115	93.91%	143	95.8%	150	90.67%	181	88.4%
San Francisco State University - BSN	89	87.64%	87	86.21%	101	90.1%	60	88.33%	103	85.44%
San Francisco State University - MSN	39	89.74%	38	97.37%	35	91.43%	43	86.05%	40	77.5%
San Joaquin Delta College	98	92.86%	128	91.41%	76	82.89%	133	81.20%	128	89.06%
San Joaquin Valley College	129	83.72%	95	86.32%	86	88.37%	91	91.21%	96	95.83%
Santa Ana College	94	94.68%	93	91.4%	91	86.81%	87	90.80%	97	90.72%
Santa Barbara City College	73	98.63%	56	94.64%	79	96.2%	79	91.14%	65	93.85%
Santa Monica College	40	90%	57	94.74%	71	91.55%	71	91.55%	31	83.87%
Santa Rosa Junior College	109	96.33%	110	92.73%	55	96.36%	117	87.18%	98	90.82%
Shasta College	50	88%	44	93.18%	50	96%	70	90%	59	88.14%
Shepherd University (Closed)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	0%
Sierra College	32	100%	21	100%	30	100%	63	100%	38	97.37%
Simpson University	28	92.86%	30	100%	39	92.31%	46	91.30%	60	95%
Solano Community College	45	86.67%	38	94.74%	48	91.67%	47	80.85%	39	87.18%
Sonoma State University	30	100%	18	94.44%	23	100%	42	90.48%	14	100%
Southwestern College	66	86.36%	69	92.75%	68	89.71%	63	88.89%	59	89.83%
Stanbridge University - ADN	58	94.83%	78	98.72%	74	95.95%	84	96.43%	129	90.7%
The Valley Foundation School of Nursing at San Jose State University	117	89.74%	86	86.79%	119	91.6%	119	93.28%	185	90.81%
United States University (Closed)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	0%	N/A	N/A
Unitek College - ADN (Closed Option)	122	90.16%	115	89.57%	1	0%	5	60%	N/A	N/A
Unitek College - BSN	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	151	84.11%	292	81.16%
UC Davis	33	78.79%	44	84.09%	48	87.5%	48	83.33%	43	93.02%
UC Irvine - BSN	50	94%	56	91.07%	44	88.64%	42	83.33%	50	86%
UC Irvine - MSN	N/A	N/A	19	94.74%	18	100%	21	95.24%	19	94.74%
UC Los Angeles - BSN	44	97.73%	45	95.56%	44	90.91%	50	84%	54	88.89%
UC Los Angeles - MSN	71	88.73%	69	97.1%	68	82.35%	71	87.32%	68	85.29%
UC San Francisco	64	93.75%	72	95.83%	76	89.47%	77	87.01%	75	86.67%
University of Massachusetts Global	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	27	55.56%	57	57.89%
University of Phoenix at Modesto - LVN to BSN	75	73.33%	71	80.28%	41	78.05%	44	72.73%	2	0%
University of San Diego/Hahn	61	95.08%	56	96.43%	55	98.18%	65	96.92%	50	88%
University of San Francisco - BSN	219	89.95%	217	89.86%	251	87.64%	252	85.32%	260	86.54%
University of San Francisco - MSN	105	89.52%	118	98.31%	104	95.19%	125	88%	131	86.26%
Vanguard University	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	24	91.67%	36	66.67%	30	80%
Ventura College	95	94.74%	58	96.55%	84	97.62%	85	94.12%	85	94.12%
Victor Valley College	51	100%	69	98.55%	30	93.33%	64	96.88%	68	91.18%
Weimar University - ADN	7	85.71%	11	100%	12	100%	12	75%	8	100%
West Coast University	1,426	91.23%	1,630	90.55%	2,132	87.1%	2,581	80.58%	2,925	81.09%
Western Governors University (Closed)	49	97.96%	52	96.15%	22	95.45%	27	100%	47	85.11%
Western University of Health Sciences - MSN	56	91.07%	60	93.33%	N/A	N/A	68	89.71%	72	86.11%
West Hills College Lemoore	36	94.44%	24	91.67%	30	90%	51	90.20%	46	89.13%
Xavier College	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	20	95%	28	71.43%	30	83.33%
Yuba College	59	84.75%	52	92.31%	53	96.23%	65	96.92%	65	93.85%

FAQs

What is the passing rate of the NCLEX? ›

Pass Rates for NCLEX Exams

Roughly seven in ten test takers pass the NCLEX exams. The passing rate for 2023 was 69.66% for the NCLEX-RN exam and 74.54% for the NCLEX-PN exam. Pass rates vary widely between first-time and repeat test-takers, and between those who attended U.S. nursing schools vs.

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What are the odds of passing the NCLEX? ›

Current NCLEX Pass Rates

Currently, the first-time pass rate for NCLEX is 80%. However, this number will vary depending on where you go to school. So, regardless of how many questions you're asked, your odds of passing NCLEX are fairly high.

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Is 50% passing for NCLEX? ›

Unlike traditional exams, the NCLEX does not have a set passing score expressed as a percentage. Instead, it employs a complex computerized adaptive testing (CAT) system that evaluates a candidate's competence based on the level of difficulty of the questions they can answer correctly.

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Which state has highest NCLEX pass rate? ›

Many of the nursing programs in New Hampshire have very high NCLEX pass rates, contributing to the rank of #1 for pass rates nationwide. With an overall NCLEX pass rate of 96%, new nurses in New Hampshire perform a full 10% better than the national pass averages.

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Which state is easiest to pass NCLEX? ›

1. New Hampshire. New Hampshire boasts the highest NCLEX pass rate average in the U.S., over 14% higher than the national average. In 2022, five of the state's eight bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) programs reported first-time pass rates above 90%, including a 100% rate for Plymouth State University.

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What percentage of nurses pass NCLEX on first try? ›

Falling Pass Rates

Pass rates continued to decline in 2022, with an average pass rate of 80.9% opens in a new tab or windowfor all first-time U.S.-educated candidates, and a rate of 66.6% for all candidates, based on a dataset that excludes the fourth quarter of the year.

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What are good signs you passed NCLEX? ›

Here are four telltale signs that signify your triumphant passage of the NCLEX.

Absence of a New Authorization to Test (ATT) ...
"Nurse of the Future" Title on Your License. ...
Termination of Test Attempts on Your Pearson VUE Account. ...
Official Notification from Your State Nursing Board.

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What are the 3 NCLEX pass or fail decision rules? ›

The CAT algorithm determines whether you pass or fail based on one of the following three rules: the 95% Confidence Interval Rule, Maximum-Length Exam Rule, or the Run-out-of-time (ROOT) Rule. These are sometimes also referred to as the exam “stopping rules” that indicate when the exam will end.

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Is it likely to fail NCLEX in 75? ›

The NCLEX is a pass/fail exam, so you won't know your score until you receive your results. However, the average passing rate for the NCLEX is around 85%, so you've got a pretty good chance of passing if you've made it to 75 questions.

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What does it mean when NCLEX shuts off at 85? ›

When the NCLEX-RN shuts off at 85 questions, it means you either did very well or very poorly—enough so that the CAT model is 95% confident in your success or failure after only one-third of the possible 265 exam questions. Further, in an 85-question test only 70 questions are counted toward your passing score.

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Is NCLEX harder than UWorld? ›

To answer this question, we surveyed thousands of UWorld users just like you who recently utilized our NCLEX review course to prepare for their licensing exam. The result? 90% of users report that UWorld's questions are the same level of difficulty or more difficult than the questions they encountered on the NCLEX.

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Do the first 15 questions count on NCLEX? ›

3 | NCLEX Examination Question Types

The NCLEX-RN consists of 74-145 questions. This includes 15 pre-test questions that do not count toward test takers' scores. The NCLEX-PN consists of 85-205 questions, including 25 non-scored questions.

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Which state NCLEX is the hardest? ›

The NCLEX is a standardized exam and is the same type of test for everyone in the country. No state has a “harder” exam than another state.

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What is the hardest part of the NCLEX? ›

The hardest questions on the NCLEX often require a deep understanding of nursing theory, pharmacology, pathophysiology, and nursing interventions. They may present complex clinical scenarios involving multiple patients or require you to identify the best course of action when faced with conflicting information.

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What state has the lowest NCLEX pass rate? ›

Florida has had the lowest NCLEX pass rates in the country since 2017, according to The Tampa Bay Times. The state pass rate sits far below the national average of 79.9 percent, though state trends have mirrored a national decrease in pass rates since the pandemic.

Is the NCLEX one of the hardest exams? ›

NCLEX's difficulty can fluctuate among test-takers but is generally regarded as a formidable examination. It scrutinizes your aptitude for critical thinking, application of nursing acumen, and formulation of safe and efficacious decisions within a clinical context.

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Are NCLEX pass rates dropping? ›

From 2019 through 2022, NCLEX-RN pass rates dropped more than 8 percentage points—from 88.18% to 79.90% for all first-time U.S.-educated candidates.

Is it rare to fail NCLEX in 75 questions? ›

While it is technically possible to fail the NCLEX within 75 questions, it is relatively rare. Failing within this limited number of questions suggests a significant performance discrepancy from the passing standard. To fail at 75 questions, one would generally need to demonstrate an extreme level of unpreparedness.

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