NCLEX pass rates in Ohio
84.1% of Ohio nursing graduates passed the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt in 2025, 2.6 points below the 86.7% national rate for 2025. In 2023 the figure was 86.9%.
First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in Ohio
- 2023 8,814 first-time takers86.9%
- 2024 8,688 first-time takers89.8%
- 2025 8,518 first-time takers84.1%
United States, 2025: 86.7%
All programs combined, US-educated first-time candidates. Source: Ohio 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) | 46 | 3,333 | 88.3% | 87.6% |
| Associate (ADN) | 48 | 4,133 | 82.5% | 86.1% |
| Entry-level master's | 7 | 246 | 89.4% | – |
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 94 ranked programs
14 programs at 95% or higher, 32 programs at 90% to 94.9%, 35 programs at 80% to 89.9%, 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiram College | BSN | 100.0% | 31 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | Entry-level master's | 100.0% | 54 |
| Northwest State Community College | ADN | 99.0% | 103 |
| Shawnee State University | BSN | 98.0% | 49 |
| Xavier University | Entry-level master's | 97.6% | 41 |
| Cedarville University | BSN | 97.4% | 308 |
| Ohio Northern University | BSN | 97.0% | 66 |
| Capital University | BSN | 96.7% | 211 |
| Ohio University-Main Campus | BSN | 96.7% | 576 |
| Muskingum University | BSN | 96.3% | 54 |
Every ranked BSN program, with cost and pay, is on BSN programs in Ohio.
Practical nursing (NCLEX-PN)
Graduates of practical and vocational nursing programs in Ohio passed the NCLEX-PN on their first attempt 82.6% 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 Ohio. See how to get a nursing license in Ohio. Registered nurses in Ohio earned a median $82,510 in May 2025.