NCLEX pass rates in Pennsylvania
90.4% of Pennsylvania nursing graduates passed the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt in FY2025, 3.7 points above the 86.7% national rate for 2025. In FY2023 the figure was 90.9%.
First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in Pennsylvania
- FY2023 8,985 first-time takers90.9%
- FY2024 8,051 first-time takers94.5%
- FY2025 7,757 first-time takers90.4%
United States, 2025: 86.7%
All programs combined, US-educated first-time candidates. Source: Pennsylvania board of nursing, fiscal (Oct-Sep). 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) | 43 | 4,370 | 91.2% | 87.6% |
| Associate (ADN) | 27 | 2,353 | 88.7% | 86.1% |
| Entry-level master's | 2 | 83 | 94.0% | – |
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 65 ranked programs
21 programs at 95% or higher, 28 programs at 90% to 94.9%, 16 programs at 80% to 89.9%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marywood University | BSN | 100.0% | 88 |
| Reading Area Community College | ADN | 99.2% | 130 |
| Cedar Crest College | BSN | 99.1% | 212 |
| Messiah University | BSN | 99.1% | 117 |
| Luzerne County Community College | ADN | 98.1% | 320 |
| Alvernia University | BSN | 97.8% | 137 |
| Bucks County Community College | ADN | 97.3% | 188 |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania | BSN | 96.9% | 259 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | ADN | 96.9% | 64 |
| Duquesne University | BSN | 96.8% | 711 |
Every ranked BSN program, with cost and pay, is on BSN programs in Pennsylvania.
Practical nursing (NCLEX-PN)
Graduates of practical and vocational nursing programs in Pennsylvania passed the NCLEX-PN on their first attempt 83.2% of the time in FY2025, 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 Pennsylvania. See how to get a nursing license in Pennsylvania. Registered nurses in Pennsylvania earned a median $96,430 in May 2025.