NCLEX pass rates in California
90.2% of California nursing graduates passed the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt in 2024/2025, 3.5 points above the 86.7% national rate for 2025. In 2022/2023 the figure was 85.7%.
First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in California
- 2022/2023 14,905 first-time takers85.7%
- 2023/2024 14,587 first-time takers94.0%
- 2024/2025 15,874 first-time takers90.2%
United States, 2025: 86.7%
All programs combined, US-educated first-time candidates. Source: California board of nursing, fiscal (Jul-Jun). National rate from NCSBN. Portions copyrighted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. All rights reserved.
By type of program
| Program type | Programs | First-time test-takers | Pass rate | National 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's (BSN) | 45 | 8,719 | 88.7% | 87.6% |
| Associate (ADN) | 95 | 6,391 | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| Entry-level master's | 12 | 621 | 87.3% | – |
Each program's most recent reporting year, pooled. Programs reporting under another school are included in the type that board lists them under.
Highest pass rates among 150 ranked programs
47 programs at 95% or higher, 54 programs at 90% to 94.9%, 41 programs at 80% to 89.9%, 8 programs at under 80%. Pass rates here are pooled over each program's last three reporting years, and only programs with at least 20 first-time test-takers are ranked.
| Program | Type | Pass rate | First-time test-takers |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Jessup University | BSN | 100.0% | 25 |
| San Diego City College | ADN | 100.0% | 96 |
| Weimar University | ADN | 100.0% | 26 |
| Moorpark College | ADN | 99.4% | 176 |
| Saddleback College | ADN | 99.2% | 252 |
| Sierra College | ADN | 99.1% | 111 |
| California State University-Long Beach | BSN | 98.7% | 462 |
| Sonoma State University | BSN | 98.5% | 69 |
| Mendocino College | ADN | 98.5% | 68 |
| Monterey Peninsula College | ADN | 98.3% | 117 |
Every ranked BSN program, with cost and pay, is on BSN programs in California.
Practical nursing (NCLEX-PN)
Graduates of practical and vocational nursing programs in California passed the NCLEX-PN on their first attempt 83.8% of the time in 2025, against 86.6% nationally in 2025.
What a pass rate does and does not tell you
The NCLEX is the licensing exam every US nurse must pass. A program's first-time pass rate reflects its students' preparation and the program's selectivity as well as its teaching, and small programs swing widely from year to year, so we pool three years and set a floor of 20 test-takers for ranking. Pass rates also say nothing about cost or what graduates earn.
Compare BSN programs in California. See how to get a nursing license in California. Registered nurses in California earned a median $140,270 in May 2025.