BSN programs in Texas
55 BSN programs compared on what happens after graduation: first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates, what a year costs, what graduates owe and what they earn.
- 89.0%
- of first-time test-takers from Texas BSN programs passed the NCLEX-RN, 2025 (national BSN rate: 87.6%, 2025)
- 54
- programs with at least 20 first-time test-takers over three years, so their pass rate is ranked; 1 more are shown without a rank
- $95,970
- median yearly pay for registered nurses in Texas, May 2025 (BLS)
What the data shows
- Spread between programs. Among the 54 programs with at least 20 first-time test-takers, three-year pass rates run from 43.5% (Sul Ross State University) to 100.0% (LeTourneau University), a gap of 56.5 points.
- Against the national rate. BSN graduates in Texas beat the national first-time rate of 87.6% by 1.4 points. Programs here passed 89.0% of 9,177 first-time test-takers in the latest year each reported (2025).
- Lowest net price with an above-average pass rate. Texas A & M International University has the lowest average net price ($336 a year) of the 31 ranked programs that were at or above the state's pooled pass rate of 91.0%.
- Direction of travel. 30 of 54 programs reported a lower first-time pass rate in their latest year than in their earliest of the three years shown (2023 to 2025 for most).
54 BSN programs ranked by first-time pass rate
Ordered by the pass rate pooled over the program's last three reporting years. The dots show each year, newest in blue; the vertical line marks the Texas average for the latest year.
| Program | First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | Test-takers | Net price a year | Median loan debt | Pay 1 year out | Graduation rate | Accredited by | Online option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeTourneau UniversityLongview, Private | 100.0%2023: 100.0% · 2024: 100.0% · 2025: 100.0% | 35 | $26,985 | – | $76,285 | 60% | CCNE | No |
| Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, Public | 100.0%2023: 100.0% · 2024: 100.0% · 2025: 100.0% | 249 | $16,660 | $20,000 | $78,884 | 55% | CCNE | No |
| Abilene Christian UniversityAbilene, Private | 99.3%2023: 100.0% · 2024: 100.0% · 2025: 97.2% | 136 | $27,943 | $19,500 | $78,954 | 57% | CCNE | Yes |
| Texas A&M University HSC College of Nursing | 99.0%2023: 98.3% · 2024: 99.0% · 2025: 99.6% | 680 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth, Private | 98.4%2023: 97.6% · 2024: 100.0% · 2025: 97.1% | 616 | $35,045 | $24,212 | $79,941 | 86% | CCNE | No |
| The University of Texas Medical Branch at GalvestonGalveston, Public | 98.1%2023: 99.3% · 2024: 99.3% · 2025: 95.6% | 849 | – | $15,000 | $84,918 | – | CCNE | Partly |
| Houston Christian UniversityHouston, Private | 97.8%2023: 97.9% · 2024: 97.6% · 2025: 97.8% | 136 | $19,294 | $22,125 | $85,242 | 48% | CCNE | No |
| Stephen F Austin State UniversityNacogdoches, Public | 97.4%2023: 97.3% · 2024: 99.0% · 2025: 96.2% | 340 | $15,928 | $20,500 | $80,909 | 54% | ACEN | Partly |
| University of HoustonHouston, Public | 97.4%2023: 92.6% · 2024: 100.0% · 2025: 100.0% | 232 | $11,439 | $16,436 | $85,922 | 65% | CCNE | No |
| Texas A & M International UniversityLaredo, Public | 96.2%2023: 92.8% · 2024: 96.9% · 2025: 98.4% | 317 | $336 | $13,096 | $77,343 | 48% | ACEN | Partly |
| University of the Incarnate WordSan Antonio, Private | 95.9%2023: 96.9% · 2024: 95.8% · 2025: 95.3% | 443 | $17,483 | $22,548 | $77,195 | 52% | CCNE | Partly |
| Howard Payne UniversityBrownwood, Private | 95.7%2023: 100.0% · 2024: 87.5% · 2025: 100.0% | 23 | $26,563 | – | – | 31% | CCNE | No |
| Lamar UniversityBeaumont, Public | 95.6%2023: 97.9% · 2024: 97.6% · 2025: 91.7% | 338 | $7,984 | $23,036 | $80,261 | 38% | ACEN | No |
| Baylor UniversityWaco, Private | 95.0%2023: 94.3% · 2024: 94.5% · 2025: 96.1% | 1,092 | $44,441 | $18,125 | $78,845 | 81% | CCNE | No |
| The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonHouston, Public | 95.0%2023: 94.2% · 2024: 95.6% · 2025: 95.4% | 779 | – | $15,000 | $85,981 | – | CCNE | Partly |
| Texas Woman's UniversityDenton, Public | 94.7%2023: 94.6% · 2024: 97.2% · 2025: 92.5% | 1,306 | $11,060 | $17,499 | $80,581 | 49% | CCNE | No |
| University of Mary Hardin-BaylorBelton, Private | 94.5%2023: 94.7% · 2024: 95.7% · 2025: 92.7% | 434 | $29,143 | $25,000 | $78,090 | 48% | CCNE | Partly |
| Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsville, Public | 94.4%2023: 93.6% · 2024: 94.0% · 2025: 95.5% | 467 | $14,788 | $22,250 | $82,571 | 55% | CCNE | Yes |
| Fairfield University - new | 93.9%2024: 100.0% · 2025: 93.5% | 33 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Texas A&M University-TexarkanaTexarkana, Public | 93.5%2023: 90.9% · 2024: 92.3% · 2025: 95.5% | 46 | $16,934 | – | – | 29% | CCNE | Partly |
| Texas Lutheran UniversitySeguin, Private | 92.6%2023: 87.1% · 2024: 98.9% · 2025: 92.0% | 323 | $20,716 | $25,000 | $74,805 | 53% | CCNE | No |
| The University of Texas at El PasoEl Paso, Public | 92.6%2023: 96.5% · 2024: 92.8% · 2025: 88.8% | 963 | $6,803 | $14,777 | $75,043 | 50% | CCNE | Yes |
| The University of Texas at TylerTyler, Public | 92.6%2023: 95.1% · 2024: 96.0% · 2025: 87.2% | 1,373 | $13,476 | $16,298 | $78,414 | 51% | CCNE | No |
| Angelo State UniversitySan Angelo, Public | 92.5%2023: 89.3% · 2024: 93.5% · 2025: 96.2% | 173 | $13,394 | $21,500 | $76,886 | 45% | CCNE | No |
| Schreiner UniversityKerrville, Private | 92.3%2023: 100.0% · 2024: 85.7% · 2025: 88.2% | 39 | $21,252 | $23,000 | $82,926 | 44% | CCNE | Partly |
| The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, Public | 92.3%2023: 93.3% · 2024: 94.2% · 2025: 89.7% | 2,585 | $17,040 | $17,708 | $89,518 | 52% | CCNE | Partly |
| The University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioSan Antonio, Public | 92.0%2023: 94.5% · 2024: 94.8% · 2025: 87.6% | 951 | – | $15,958 | $74,627 | – | CCNE | No |
| West Texas A & M UniversityCanyon, Public | 91.8%2023: 93.7% · 2024: 93.1% · 2025: 88.8% | 294 | $17,909 | $18,750 | $79,258 | 53% | CCNE | Partly |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences CenterLubbock, Public | 91.6%2023: 94.8% · 2024: 94.7% · 2025: 85.8% | 1,784 | – | $11,675 | $81,994 | – | CCNE | Partly |
| West Coast University-TexasRichardson, For-profit | 91.4%2023: 90.7% · 2024: 91.4% · 2025: 92.2% | 781 | $52,439 | $34,500 | $100,459 | 37% | CCNE | No |
| The University of Texas at AustinAustin, Public | 91.2%2023: 89.7% · 2024: 93.3% · 2025: 90.9% | 351 | $18,554 | $14,003 | $83,778 | 89% | CCNE | No |
| Southwestern Adventist UniversityKeene, Private | 90.6%2023: 87.5% · 2024: 91.4% · 2025: 94.6% | 171 | $12,685 | $26,249 | $76,786 | 51% | CCNE | Partly |
| East Texas A&M UniversityCommerce, Public | 90.5%2023: 100.0% · 2024: 93.9% · 2025: 79.2% | 147 | $13,974 | $19,600 | $84,703 | 42% | CCNE | Partly |
| Midwestern State UniversityWichita Falls, Public | 90.5%2023: 82.6% · 2024: 92.8% · 2025: 100.0% | 221 | $11,793 | $18,750 | $81,333 | 42% | CCNE | Yes |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, Public | 89.6%2023: 89.6% · 2024: 92.1% · 2025: 87.0% | 632 | $4,858 | $12,751 | $75,580 | 53% | CCNE | Partly |
| East Texas Baptist UniversityMarshall, Private | 89.4%2023: 74.4% · 2024: 94.6% · 2025: 100.0% | 123 | $23,414 | $24,575 | $74,928 | 46% | CCNE | No |
| Concordia University TexasAustin, Private | 89.1%2023: 79.9% · 2024: 97.2% · 2025: 97.8% | 603 | $26,128 | $23,000 | $79,085 | 44% | CCNE | No |
| Texas A & M University-Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi, Public | 88.6%2023: 90.0% · 2024: 93.0% · 2025: 83.1% | 474 | $13,843 | $20,199 | $75,707 | 39% | CCNE | No |
| Prairie View A & M UniversityPrairie View, Public | 88.5%2023: 84.5% · 2024: 91.3% · 2025: 91.9% | 270 | $13,638 | $23,022 | $85,920 | 45% | ACEN + CCNE | No |
| Galen College of Nursing-San AntonioSan Antonio, For-profit | 87.8%2023: 92.4% · 2024: 90.6% · 2025: 85.2% | 933 | $30,273 | $33,445 | $78,918 | 77% | – | No |
| Hallmark UniversitySan Antonio, Private | 87.1%2023: 97.9% · 2024: 85.7% · 2025: 79.7% | 155 | $13,495 | $32,562 | $76,005 | 65% | – | No |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El PasoEl Paso, Public | 86.3%2023: 85.6% · 2024: 93.1% · 2025: 81.1% | 424 | – | $20,000 | $77,672 | – | CCNE | Partly |
| Western Technical CollegeEl Paso, For-profit | 86.0%2023: 87.2% · 2024: 86.8% · 2025: 83.3% | 121 | $30,733 | $43,843 | $78,712 | 70% | – | No |
| Western Governors University | 85.4%2023: 88.9% · 2024: 91.1% · 2025: 75.2% | 466 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Aspen University (closed) | 84.6%2024: 87.5% · 2025: 50.0% | 26 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Tarleton State UniversityStephenville, Public | 81.4%2023: 74.8% · 2024: 94.7% · 2025: 78.2% | 549 | $20,525 | $23,250 | $74,862 | 49% | CCNE | Partly |
| Chamberlain University-TexasHouston, For-profit | 80.3%2023: 81.1% · 2024: 77.9% · 2025: 82.7% | 1,742 | $39,545 | $21,656 | $89,974 | 40% | – | No |
| University of St ThomasHouston, Private | 80.1%2023: 86.1% · 2024: 82.5% · 2025: 72.1% | 825 | $15,446 | $15,000 | $84,429 | 68% | CCNE | No |
| Arizona College of Nursing-DallasDallas, For-profit | 79.7%2023: 94.9% · 2024: 88.6% · 2025: 69.1% | 177 | $29,318 | $42,416 | $85,460 | 0% | ACEN | No |
| The University of Texas Permian BasinOdessa, Public | 79.5%2023: 73.0% · 2024: 72.5% · 2025: 88.6% | 185 | $5,070 | $19,000 | $86,141 | 40% | CCNE | Partly |
| South University-AustinRound Rock, For-profit | 75.8%2023: 59.0% · 2024: 86.7% · 2025: 88.5% | 95 | $27,423 | $23,833 | $79,957 | 6% | – | Partly |
| Wayland Baptist UniversityPlainview, Private | 73.3%2023: 87.5% · 2024: 100.0% · 2025: 58.8% | 30 | $23,421 | – | $66,843 | 19% | ACEN | Partly |
| Denver College of Nursing | 68.5%2024: 83.3% · 2025: 66.7% | 54 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sul Ross State UniversityAlpine, Public | 43.5%2023: 40.0% · 2024: 36.4% · 2025: 57.1% | 23 | $16,255 | – | – | 30% | CCNE | Partly |
Pass rates: Texas board of nursing, calendar. Net price is the College Scorecard's average yearly cost after grants and scholarships for first-time, full-time undergraduates who receive federal aid (in-state price at public schools), and graduation rate covers the whole school. Debt is the median federal loan balance of nursing graduates who borrowed, and pay is the median earnings of graduates who are working one year after finishing (2024 dollars). Accreditation is checked against the ACEN and CCNE directories; a dash means we could not match the program to a listing, which is not the same as being unaccredited, so check with the school. “Partly” under online option means some, but not all, of the school's programs at this level can be finished fully online, such as an RN-to-BSN track. A dash means the figure is not published, often because too few graduates received federal aid.
Programs with fewer than 20 test-takers
With so few graduates testing, one or two results can move a program's pass rate by many points, so we show these programs but do not rank them.
| Program | First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | Test-takers |
|---|---|---|
| St. Edward's University | 100.0%2025: 100.0% | 2 |
Other Texas schools that award nursing bachelor's degrees
These schools reported nursing graduates to the federal government but do not appear on the board's NCLEX list for this program type. Some offer only an RN-to-BSN completion program for nurses who already hold a license; others are new, or the board lists them under another school.
| School | City | Graduates a year | Net price a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M University-College Station | College Station | 235 | $21,527 |
| Lone Star College System | The Woodlands | 70 | $15,874 |
| Austin Community College District | Austin | 60 | $2,445 |
| Grayson College | Denison | 60 | $5,743 |
| Collin County Community College District | McKinney | 57 | $10,747 |
| University of Houston-Downtown | Houston | 53 | $9,828 |
| Lubbock Christian University | Lubbock | 46 | $26,595 |
| Weatherford College | Weatherford | 43 | $9,654 |
| San Antonio College | San Antonio | 39 | $5,010 |
| Trinity Valley Community College | Athens | 36 | $4,015 |
| Texas A&M University-Victoria | Victoria | 29 | $8,115 |
| South Texas College | McAllen | 27 | $855 |
| Hardin-Simmons University | Abilene | 22 | $19,731 |
| University of Houston-Clear Lake | Houston | 21 | $11,852 |
| Galen Health Institutes-Austin Campus | Round Rock | 21 | $29,209 |
| San Jacinto Community College | Pasadena | 18 | $1,807 |
| College of the Mainland | Texas City | 16 | $447 |
| Navarro College | Corsicana | 14 | $15,500 |
| McMurry University | Abilene | 13 | $19,021 |
| Del Mar College | Corpus Christi | 12 | $5,439 |
| Texas A&M University-Central Texas | Killeen | 12 | $4,107 |
| Laredo College | Laredo | 10 | $3,157 |
| Galveston College | Galveston | 9 | $5,940 |
| Southwest University at El Paso | El Paso | 7 | $16,923 |
| Baptist Health System School of Health Professions | San Antonio | 3 | $22,802 |
| Abilene Christian University-Undergraduate Online | Addison | 1 | $16,741 |
How to read this page
Texas lists 55 BSN programs on its board of nursing's published NCLEX results (27 public, 16 private nonprofit and 6for-profit among the 49 we could match to a federal school record). Graduates of a bachelor's degree in nursing program take the NCLEX-RN; programs typically take about 4 years.
Pass rates cover calendar. Boards define a reporting year differently, so compare programs within a state rather than across states. We have not combined these figures into an overall score yet: the full formula on how we rank programs needs every state's data, so for now programs are ordered by pass rate alone. All sources are listed on data sources.
See Texas's NCLEX pass rates by program type. See what it takes to get a nursing license in Texas.