At Pacific Lutheran University School of Nursing, students find themselves in a learning environment where they can work with outstanding faculty staff to gain knowledge and skills and also share professional experiences with expert clinical preceptors and become exceptional nurses.Â
Students learn to provide evidence-based, clinically competent care for individuals, families, and communities in all kinds of diverse populations. They also become apt in the use of information systems, patient care technologies, and interprofessional communication strategies to support safe nursing practice. Students learn to perfect their clinical skills in high-fidelity clinical simulation labs and apply those skills in real-life scenarios in clinical rotations throughout the region.Â
Similarly, the graduates have a strong alumni network which allows them to stay in touch with fellow graduates so that they can find ways to contribute to PLU and its students.
Undergraduates Programs:Â The BSN program comprises of the Traditional BSN and LPN to BSN tracks. The program enables students to practice as generalist nurses within a complex healthcare system.Â
Graduate Programs:Â The MSN degree prepares students to provide direct and indirect care to a diverse group of people in a variety of settings. The graduates have been working exceptionally well in the current, complex healthcare systems environment.
Similarly, the DNP program offers two specialty tracks; FNP and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The graduates develop and evaluate quality within a health system, collaborate with inter-professional teams to improve health outcomes, and become leaders in the nursing profession.
There is also a Post Graduate Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program for individuals who already hold an ARNP license. This program is available for both post-master’s and post-doctoral entry options.
The nursing school at Pacific Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tacoma, Washington. Its nursing programs are accredited by ACEN, ACME, CCNE and COA.
Degree types you can earn at Pacific Lutheran University include CNL, Family Nurse Practitioner and Registered Nursing, and the school provides its offerings to students via campus and hybrid formats. The level of nursing programs offered to nursing students include Bachelor Degree, BSN to DNP, LPN to BSN, Master Degree and MSN to DNP level degrees.
For nursing students in Washington, the state average NCLEX-RN passing rate for ADN programs is 89.15% and for BSN programs is 89.26%. The average national NCLEX-RN passing rate for ADN programs is N/A% and for BSN programs is N/A%.
Out of 47 nursing schools in Washington, the nursing program at Pacific Lutheran University ranks #6 in the state, and out of more than 1,700 nursing programs nationally, it ranks #353. It's 3-year average NCLEX-RN passing rate is 88.21%, giving the Pacific Lutheran University an overall grade of B.
Nursing Program Stats at a Glance for Pacific Lutheran University
- Grade: B
- NCLEX-RN Passing Rate Average: 88.21%
- Washington State Rank: 6
- National Rank: 353
Best Online Nursing Programs for Washington Students
In-state nursing schools are preferable to out-of-state programs as your tuition and logistics for attending school will be considerably less than if you attended school out-of-state. Online nursing schools are also an option.
Compare Washington Nursing School Rankings
Compare Washington Nursing Schools | ADN | BSN |
---|---|---|
Number of Nursing Programs | "26" | "26" |
Average NCLEX Passing Rate | 89.15% | 89.26% |
NCLEX Passing Rate Range | 72.60% to 95.60% | 76.49% to 95.05% |
Best Ranked School Details | ADN Rankings for Washington | BSN Rankings for Washington |
Pacific Lutheran University
Pass Rate

- 12180 Park Ave South, Tacoma, WA - 98447-0003
- (253) 535-8145

- NCLEX Passing Rate: (B) 88.21%
- Programs: CNL, Family Nurse Practitioner, Registered Nursing
- Award Levels: Bachelor, BSN to DNP, LPN to BSN, MSN, MSN to DNP
University Information
Total Faculty: 198
In-State Undergraduate Tuition: $942
Book and Supplies: N/A
Percent Received Aid: 100%
Average Grant or Scholarship: $29,162
Percent Admitted: 86%
Percent Admitted who Enrolled: 21%
Graduation Rate: 71%
Cities in Washington Offering Accredited Nursing Programs
If you are not finding the right nursing program in Tacoma or want to compare nursing schools from other cities in Washington? Compare average NCLEX scores, in-state and out-of-state tuition costs as well as schools with strong alumni networks. The following is a list of cities in with accredited nursing programs in Washington: Aberdeen, Bellevue, Bellingham, Bothell, Bremerton, Cheney, College Place, Des Moines, Everett, Kirkland, Longview, Lynnwood, Moses Lake, Mount Vernon, Olympia, Pasco, Port Angeles, Pullman, Puyallup, Renton, Seattle, Shoreline, Spokane, Tacoma, Toppenish, Vancouver, Walla Walla, Wenatchee and Yakima
.
Additional Nursing Programs in Washington
- Bellevue College
- Bellingham Technical College
- Big Bend Community College
- Cascadia College
- Centralia College
- Clark College
- Clover Park Technical College
- Columbia Basin College
- Eastern Washington University
- Edmonds Community College
- Everett Community College
- Gonzaga University
- Grays Harbor College
- Green River Community College
- Heritage University
- Highline Community College
- Lake Washington Institute of Technology
- Lower Columbia College
- North Seattle Community College
- Northwest University
- Olympic College
- Pacific Lutheran University
- Peninsula College
- Pierce College
- Pierce College at Fort Steilacoom
- Renton Technical College
- Seattle Central Community College
- Seattle Central Community College
- Seattle Community College-South Campus
- Seattle Pacific University
- Seattle University
- Shoreline Community College
- Skagit Valley College
- South Puget Sound Community College
- Spokane Community College
- Spokane Falls Community College
- Tacoma Community College
- University of Washington
- University of Washington-Bothell Campus
- University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
- Walla Walla Community College
- Walla Walla University
- Washington State University
- Wenatchee Valley College
- Whatcom Community College
- Whitworth University
- Yakima Valley Community College
Learn About In-Demand Nursing Professions
Washington Nursing School Rankings
Back to RN Program Rankings in Washington
Best Nursing Schools in the US
Sources: The State Board of Nursing from Each State, U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education – OPE, National Center for Education Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics