Nursing Programs Rankings Methodology

At Nursing Explorer, our mission is to provide prospective nursing students with the most accurate and up-to-date information to help them make informed decisions about their education. To achieve this, we have developed a rigorous and transparent methodology for ranking nursing programs across the United States. Our 2024 Nursing Programs Ranking is based on NCLEX-PN and NCLEX-RN pass rates, offering a clear picture of how well nursing programs prepare their students for the licensing exams.

Data Collection

The foundation of our ranking process is the NCLEX-PN (Practical Nursing) and NCLEX-RN (Registered Nursing) pass rates, which are publicly available through each state’s board of nursing. We collected data on these pass rates for the past three years, up to and including 2023. This data provides a comprehensive view of a program’s performance over time.

Eligibility Criteria

To ensure that our rankings are based on consistent and reliable data, we only included programs that met the following criteria:

  • Graduated Students: The program must have graduated students in at least two of the past three years. This ensures that the data reflects ongoing performance, rather than a single cohort’s outcome.
  • Minimum Pass Rate: Only programs with an average pass rate of 80% or higher were considered for inclusion in our rankings.

Pass Rate Calculation

For each eligible nursing program, we calculated the average pass rate over the last three years. This average provides a balanced view of a program’s performance, smoothing out any year-to-year fluctuations that might result from unusually strong or weak cohorts.

Ranking Process

Based on the calculated average pass rates, we created separate rankings for:

  • RN Programs: This includes all Registered Nursing programs (such as ADN, BSN, etc.) in the state.
  • PN Programs: This includes Practical Nursing programs in the state.

Programs that excelled in both the NCLEX-PN and NCLEX-RN exams received recognition in both categories.

Why Our Rankings Matter

Choosing a nursing program is a significant decision that impacts a student’s future career. Our rankings are designed to help students:

  • Compare Programs: By providing a clear and concise ranking based on objective criteria, students can easily compare nursing programs in their state.
  • Assess Consistency: Our three-year average pass rate approach allows students to evaluate how consistently a program prepares its students for the NCLEX exams, rather than relying on a single year’s data.

Additional Insights

In addition to the rankings, we provide charts showing the NCLEX-PN and NCLEX-RN pass rates for each program over the past three years. This visual data helps students and stakeholders assess the stability and reliability of each program’s performance.

Continuous Improvement

We believe in the continuous improvement of our ranking methodology. We welcome feedback from students, educators, and stakeholders to ensure that our rankings remain fair, transparent, and beneficial for all.