Choose a nursing program by its results
We compare US nursing programs on what happens after graduation: how many students pass the NCLEX on their first try, what the program costs, and what graduates earn. Public data, one published formula, no paid placements.
- BSN 100,258 first-time takers87.6%
- ADN 89,549 first-time takers86.1%
- Diploma 2,671 first-time takers83.3%
- Practical nursing NCLEX-PN86.6%
All RN programs, 2024: 91.2%
Every program type fell below the 2024 average. First-time RN pass rates dropped 4.5 points to 86.7%, and the Oct to Dec quarter was the lowest of the year at 81.2%.
Source: NCSBN NCLEX examination statistics, 2025 (opens in a new tab). Portions copyrighted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. All rights reserved.
Four ways into nursing
Each step up takes more school and pays more. Many nurses climb one rung at a time, working as an LPN while studying for the RN, or as an RN while earning a graduate degree.
$42,260 median annual pay
Nursing assistant
- Training
- State-approved course, at least 75 hours
- Exam
- State competency exam
$64,400 median annual pay
LPN or LVN
- Training
- Certificate or diploma, about 1 year
- Exam
- NCLEX-PN
$97,550 median annual pay
Registered nurse
- Training
- Associate degree (ADN) or 4-year bachelor’s (BSN)
- Exam
- NCLEX-RN
$132,300 median annual pay
Nurse practitioner
- Training
- Master’s or doctorate, after RN licensure
- Exam
- National board certification
Bars show median annual pay, May 2025, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (opens in a new tab). Pay for registered nurses is the same figure for ADN and BSN graduates because BLS does not split it by degree. Nursing assistant training minimum from 42 CFR 483.152 (opens in a new tab); many states require more.
Demand is high, and seats are short
- 180,800
- openings for registered nurses projected each year from 2025 to 2035, counting new jobs and nurses who retire or leave. BLS projections (opens in a new tab)
- 75,255
- qualified applications to entry-level BSN programs turned away in 2025, mostly for lack of clinical placements, faculty and classroom space. AACN survey (opens in a new tab)
- 41%
- projected growth in nurse practitioner jobs from 2025 to 2035, the fastest of any nursing role. BLS projections (opens in a new tab)
Turned-away applications are why the pass rate matters twice: a program with strong results is often also the hardest to get into, so it pays to apply to several.
How a program earns its rank
We score each program against others at the same degree level on six factors, all from public data. The NCLEX pass rate carries the most weight because it is the clearest sign a program prepares students for practice.
Program lists for each state are being added in stages, starting with BSN programs in the largest states.
Read the full methodRanking weights
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