NCLEX pass rates in Michigan
85.9% of Michigan nursing graduates passed the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt in 2025, 0.8 points below the 86.7% national rate for 2025. In 2023 the figure was 88.4%.
First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in Michigan
- 2023 5,008 first-time takers88.4%
- 2024 4,919 first-time takers91.9%
- 2025 4,847 first-time takers85.9%
United States, 2025: 86.7%
All programs combined, US-educated first-time candidates. Source: Michigan board of nursing, calendar. 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) | 31 | 2,604 | 84.5% | 87.6% |
| Associate (ADN) | 30 | 2,245 | 87.5% | 86.1% |
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 57 ranked programs
10 programs at 95% or higher, 20 programs at 90% to 94.9%, 20 programs at 80% to 89.9%, 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids Community College | ADN | 100.0% | 263 |
| Muskegon Community College | ADN | 98.1% | 207 |
| Chas Stewart Mott Community College | ADN | 97.3% | 291 |
| North Central Michigan College | ADN | 97.1% | 69 |
| Delta College | ADN | 96.9% | 350 |
| Montcalm Community College | ADN | 96.6% | 119 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | BSN | 96.1% | 533 |
| Mid Michigan College | ADN | 96.1% | 206 |
| Gogebic Community College | ADN | 95.9% | 98 |
| West Shore Community College | ADN | 95.7% | 69 |
Every ranked BSN program, with cost and pay, is on BSN programs in Michigan.
Practical nursing (NCLEX-PN)
Graduates of practical and vocational nursing programs in Michigan 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 Michigan. See how to get a nursing license in Michigan. Registered nurses in Michigan earned a median $94,300 in May 2025.