Table of Contents
How We Rank the Best Nursing Schools in Each State
A frustrating thing happens when trying to find a great nursing program. Nurses can’t find meaningful rankings of the schools they might want to attend.
Now, with our data, you can find a high-ranking, accredited nursing program that will meet your educational needs.
We Asked What You Wanted to Know About ADN / BSN Program Rankings
- We researched data points and available information
- Surveyed over 9,000 nurses from our email list
Collected the Institution, Program and NCLEX Testing Data from the Following Sources
- The State Board of Nursing from Each State
- 1,031 Programs
- 937 BSN Programs
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard
- U.S. Department of Education – OPE
- National Center for Education Statistics
- Bureau of Labor Statistics
Compiled Essential ADN and BSN Nursing Data
- NCLEX-RN Pass Rates
- NCLEX-BSN Pass Rates
- ADN Program offerings
- BSN Program offerings
- ACEN Accreditation
- CCNE Accreditation
- Institutional Ranking
- Net Price to Attended the College
- Institution Graduation Rate
- Institution Retention Rate
- Campus and/or Online Program Offerings
RN Programs in our Database
With 1,031 ADN and 937 BSN programs in the United States, there are hundreds of high ranking nursing programs.
- ACEN Accredited RN Programs: 1,109
- CCNE Accredited RN Programs: 872
- Total ADN Degree Programs: 1,031
- Ranked ADN Degree Programs: "937"
- Total BSN Degree Programs: 937
- Ranked BSN Degree Programs: "937"
How We Calculated RN Program Rankings
Excluded RN Programs from Consideration
- Schools with no record of NCLEX-RN exam passing rates.
- Schools with no NCLEX-RN passing rates for the most current year their state board of nursing reports.
- Schools with fewer than 3 years of NCLEX-RN passing rates.
- Schools with fewer than 3 students taking the NCELX-RN for the most current year their state board of nursing has on record.
Ranked the Best RN-ADN Programs
- Programs are then ranked by their accumulated NCLEX-RN passing rates for the last three years as reported by their state board of nursing.
- Programs accredited by the ACEN, CCNE or their state are given a higher weighting.
Ranked the Best RN-BSN Programs
- Programs are then ranked by their accumulated NCLEX-RN passing rates for the last three years as reported by their state board of nursing.
- Programs accredited by the ACEN, CCNE or their state are given a higher weighting.
Ranked the Best RN to BSN Programs
- Programs are then ranked by their accumulated NCLEX passing rates for the last three years as reported by their state board of nursing.
- Programs accredited by the ACEN, CCNE or their state are given a higher weighting.
Ranked the Best Accelerate BSN (ABSN) Programs
- Programs are then ranked by their accumulated NCLEX passing rates for the last three years as reported by their state board of nursing.
- Programs accredited by the ACEN, CCNE or their state are given a higher weighting.
Ranked the Best Nurse Practitioner (NP) Programs
- Programs are then ranked by their accumulated NCLEX passing rates for the last three years as reported by their state board of nursing.
- Programs accredited by the ACEN, CCNE or their state are given a higher weighting.
- How many NP programs the Nursing School offers
State-by-State Rankings
Our rankings measure RN programs against other programs within the same state. We rank schools state by state because states do not report NCLEX testing results uniformly. Some states report later than other states, some report only 1 year, some as many seven years and some report no results at all.
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National Ranking for ADN and BSN Programs
If you are looking for the best nursing programs in the country, view them here:
- View the top Best ADN programs In the United States.
- View the top Best BSN programs In the United States.
ADN Ranking Data
Here is the latest ADN data available from each State Board of Nursing as of December 1, 2021 for ADN programs.
|
State
|
Total Schools
|
Ranked Schools
|
Average # of Students
|
Years Used for Ranking
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 40 | 26 | 195.28 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Alaska | 3 | 1 | 77.33 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Arizona | 39 | 18 | 75.28 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Arkansas | 31 | 16 | 211.32 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| California | 160 | 107 | 390.22 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Colorado | 35 | 16 | 129.11 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Connecticut | 22 | 8 | N/A | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Delaware | 7 | 4 | 443.29 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| District of Columbia | 6 | 3 | N/A | 2020, 2019, 2018 |
| Florida | 85 | 50 | 636.48 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Georgia | 61 | 25 | 138.72 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Hawaii | 9 | 6 | 226.00 | 2020, 2019, 2018 |
| Idaho | 13 | 7 | 78.46 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Illinois | 89 | 42 | 287.45 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Indiana | 38 | 14 | 129.29 | 2020, 2019, 2018 |
| Iowa | 33 | 14 | 275.91 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Kansas | 42 | 22 | N/A | 2020, 2019, 2018 |
| Kentucky | 41 | 27 | 365.41 | 2020, 2019, 2018 |
| Louisiana | 27 | 14 | 308.48 | 2019, 2018, 2017 |
| Maine | 16 | 9 | 182.44 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Maryland | 28 | 15 | 549.82 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Massachusetts | 44 | 37 | 269.18 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Michigan | 65 | 26 | 95.55 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Minnesota | 53 | 25 | 352.38 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Mississippi | 24 | 17 | N/A | 2020, 2019, 2018 |
| Missouri | 59 | 22 | 2.98 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Montana | 13 | 9 | 115.08 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Nebraska | 18 | 7 | 181.39 | 2020, 2019, 2018 |
| Nevada | 12 | 5 | 333.33 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| New Hampshire | 17 | 9 | N/A | 2019, 2018, 2017 |
| New Jersey | 47 | 24 | 171.79 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| New Mexico | 26 | 17 | 99.73 | 2020, 2019, 2018 |
| New York | 113 | 63 | 446.13 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| North Carolina | 89 | 56 | 48.90 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| North Dakota | 16 | 6 | N/A | 2019, 2018, 2017 |
| Ohio | 96 | 51 | 376.61 | 2020, 2019, 2018 |
| Oklahoma | 35 | 24 | 62.03 | 2020, 2019, 2018 |
| Oregon | 22 | 16 | 229.91 | 2020, 2019, 2018 |
| Pennsylvania | 93 | 26 | 274.46 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Rhode Island | 5 | 3 | N/A | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| South Carolina | 35 | 14 | 366.60 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| South Dakota | 13 | 5 | 82.46 | 2020, 2019, 2016 |
| Tennessee | 51 | 16 | 239.65 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Texas | 121 | 61 | 431.50 | 2020, 2019, 2018 |
| Utah | 19 | 11 | 547.05 | 2020, 2019, 2018 |
| Vermont | 4 | 2 | N/A | 2020, 2019 |
| Virginia | 60 | 33 | 213.12 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Washington | 47 | 31 | 344.91 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| West Virginia | 24 | 12 | N/A | 2019, 2018, 2017 |
| Wisconsin | 50 | 27 | 130.40 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Wyoming | 7 | 7 | 257.71 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
BSN Ranking Data
Here is the latest BSN data available from each State Board of Nursing as of December 1, 2021 for BSN programs.
|
State
|
Total Schools
|
Ranked Schools
|
Average # of Students
|
Years Used for Ranking
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 40 | 15 | 152.23 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Alaska | 3 | 1 | 134.00 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| Arizona | 39 | 7 | 75.23 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Arkansas | 31 | 12 | 234.90 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| California | 160 | 40 | 245.18 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Colorado | 35 | 11 | 250.60 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Connecticut | 22 | 9 | N/A | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Delaware | 7 | 5 | 461.29 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| District of Columbia | 6 | 5 | 123.67 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Florida | 85 | 31 | 311.94 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Georgia | 61 | 26 | 291.84 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Hawaii | 9 | 4 | 335.00 | 2020, 2019, 2018 |
| Idaho | 13 | 5 | 151.08 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Illinois | 89 | 30 | 385.46 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Indiana | 38 | 24 | 569.92 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Iowa | 33 | 16 | 236.30 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Kansas | 42 | 16 | N/A | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Kentucky | 41 | 16 | 302.66 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Louisiana | 27 | 14 | 514.70 | 2022, 2019, 2018 |
| Maine | 16 | 5 | 257.31 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Maryland | 28 | 11 | 331.89 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Massachusetts | 44 | 22 | 65.41 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Michigan | 65 | 20 | 124.25 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Minnesota | 53 | 19 | 206.38 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Mississippi | 24 | 7 | 160.75 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Missouri | 59 | 28 | 33.32 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Montana | 13 | 6 | 272.15 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Nebraska | 18 | 9 | 669.39 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Nevada | 12 | 5 | 477.67 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| New Hampshire | 17 | 5 | N/A | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| New Jersey | 47 | 13 | 102.49 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| New Mexico | 26 | 6 | 55.38 | 2021, 2020, 2019 |
| New York | 113 | 40 | 310.00 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| North Carolina | 89 | 19 | 17.35 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| North Dakota | 16 | 6 | 27.75 | 2022, 2020, 2019 |
| Ohio | 96 | 36 | 319.50 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Oklahoma | 35 | 13 | 35.00 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Oregon | 22 | 5 | 239.00 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Pennsylvania | 93 | 42 | 418.18 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Rhode Island | 5 | 4 | N/A | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| South Carolina | 35 | 13 | 330.89 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| South Dakota | 13 | 8 | 336.38 | 2022, 2020, 2019 |
| Tennessee | 51 | 29 | 435.69 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Texas | 121 | 37 | 511.37 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Utah | 19 | 11 | 421.11 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Vermont | 4 | 3 | 85.75 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Virginia | 60 | 22 | 260.63 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Washington | 47 | 8 | 197.11 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| West Virginia | 24 | 8 | N/A | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Wisconsin | 50 | 21 | 75.72 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
| Wyoming | 7 | 3 | 75.43 | 2022, 2021, 2020 |
What You Should Consider About Our Rankings
- No site or publication can rank the right university for your individual needs as a student. To that end, we like to think of our rankings as a great starting point in your college evaluation process, and not the ending point.
- Bear in mind that the net price figures will vary significantly between different students based on previous education credits, financial aid eligibility, and unique personal circumstances. Search for a school’s Net-Price Calculator so you can determine a close estimate of what your actual, personal costs will be.
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