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We’re continuing to highlight the top rated nursing schools in the country based on our Nurse’s Guide to Nursing Schools, and so far we’ve looked at some of the best nursing schools by different regions, as well as by the size of the school. Today, we want to focus on NCLEX exams.
NCLEX: Five letters that strike fear into the heart of many a nursing student. As you probably know, it’s the exam taken after nursing school to determine if all those hours of classes and studying result in a nursing license. Every year, the NCLEX pass rates for each nursing school in the country are released, and though these certainly aren’t the only indicator of the quality of a nursing school, it is helpful to know how many students pass each year.
Here we’ll look at five schools that boast 100 percent pass rates for first-time test takers from 2012. Check back next week and we’ll have five more nursing schools with high NCLEX pass rates.
Additionally, if you’ve already been through nursing school, don’t forget to rate your own school or alma mater at The Nurse’s Guide to Nursing Schools and leave comments about your personal experience to help out those who may be thinking about following in your footsteps. Got a question about a school? Leave a comment on the school’s page, and the Scrubs community will help find an answer.
Augustana College
Sioux Falls, S.D.
Though Augustana College is included here on our list of schools with the highest NCLEX pass rate, it just as easily could fit on our list of small colleges with its total enrollment of less than 2,000 students. However, just because the school is small doesn’t mean it’s isolated–Sioux Falls is the largest city in South Dakota, and its metro area includes around 235,000 residents.
The nursing program at the school features a traditional, four-year bachelor’s degree option in a small department that builds a curriculum of study around the interest of each student. Students participate in a clinical experience every week by the time they reach their junior year at the school.
University Of Massachusetts – Worcester
Worcester, Mass.
The Worcester campus of the University of Massachusetts is about an hour’s drive due west of Boston, and is also known as the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The university’s Graduate School of Nursing is listed by U.S. News & World Report as one of the Best Health Schools in the country.
The school offers master’s degree programs, DNP programs and a PhD program. The latter features a BSN to PhD option. Master’s programs are available for nurses with a BSN, as well as non-nurses who hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing.
University Of Nevada – Las Vegas
Las Vegas
Sin City may not be the best learning environment for every nursing student, but those who do can expect to be well-prepared for the NCLEX if previous pass rates continue. The school is fairly large with a total enrollment of nearly 30,000, and is located a little over a mile east of the famed Las Vegas Strip.
The School of Nursing at the university has numerous degree options, including BSN, MSN, DNP and Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing. Though the bachelor’s degree option is an intensive, on-campus curriculum, most of the graduate programs are offered online.
University of North Carolina-Pembroke
Pembroke, N.C.
Better known as UNC-Pembroke, the school is one of 17 schools in the University of North Carolina system. The school has a total enrollment of just over 6,000, which is more than double the population of the small town of Pembroke.
The school offers a traditional BSN program that lasts 4.5 years, as well as an RN to BSN program for current nurses. On the graduate level, students can enroll as full- or part-time students to complete their MSN degrees.
University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing
Memphis, Tenn.
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center is the flagship academic health system in the state of Tennessee. Though the main campus is located in Memphis, there also are campuses in Chattanooga and Knoxville. The total enrollment for the school is around 3,000 students.
The nursing program features a new BSN program, which will welcome its first incoming class later this year. Additionally, the school offers a MSN, DNP, PhD and dual DNP/PhD program. The DNP program is offered primarily as an online program.
