Naugatuck Valley Community College

Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury offers an ADN as part of Connecticut State’s aligned nursing curriculum delivered across six CT State campuses. Admission is selective, and many students complete required non-nursing courses before starting the nursing sequence. Once admitted, the nursing curriculum is structured in a set order and is intended for full-time study, with nursing learning occurring in classrooms, simulation labs, and clinical placements.

Most nursing coursework is based at the Waterbury campus at 750 Chase Parkway. Nursing students train in the Center for Health Sciences, located in Founders Hall (which was renovated in 2019) and includes health care simulation labs.

The Waterbury campus sits on a 110-acre property a few minutes from Exit 18 off I-84, which matters if you are traveling from Greater Waterbury or nearby towns along the corridor.

Academically, the program includes 36-44 general education credits and 35 nursing credits. Students complete prerequisite coursework (up to 21 credits) prior to admission, then progress through nursing courses such as Nursing in Health & Illness I–IV and a Transition to Professional Nursing Practice course, along with sciences and social sciences like Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, Psychology, and Sociology. Clinical learning experiences can be scheduled on days, evenings, or weekends, and placements may be up to about an hour from campus, so reliable transportation and flexibility in work schedules are practical considerations.

Clinical education is supported through CT State’s partnerships with healthcare systems including Hartford HealthCare, Yale New Haven Health, UConn Health, Nuvance Health, and the Veterans Health Administration.

On licensure outcomes, Naugatuck Valley’s average weighted NCLEX-RN pass rate is 92.7%, slightly above Connecticut’s 2024 state RN average of 91.7%. Recent campus-level results listed for Naugatuck Valley show 97% (106/109) in 2024 and 96% (94/98) in 2023. The nursing program is approved by the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Nursing and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), with continuing accreditation reported for the CT State programs.