NCLEX pass rates by state
Each state's board of nursing publishes how many graduates of each program pass the licensing exam on their first try. We have collected those results for 10 states so far. Nationally, 86.7%of US-educated candidates passed the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt in 2025.
| State | Pass rate | Year | First-time test-takers | Against national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 90.4% | FY2025 | 7,757 | +3.7 pts |
| California | 90.2% | 2024/2025 | 15,874 | +3.5 pts |
| North Carolina | 89.7% | 2025 | 5,232 | +3.0 pts |
| Texas | 88.6% | 2025 | 16,451 | +1.9 pts |
| Georgia | 86.0% | 2025 | 5,467 | −0.7 pts |
| Michigan | 85.9% | 2025 | 4,847 | −0.8 pts |
| Illinois | 84.8% | 2025 | 6,345 | −1.9 pts |
| Ohio | 84.1% | 2025 | 8,518 | −2.6 pts |
| Florida | 82.9% | 2025 | 17,023 | −3.8 pts |
| New York | 82.4% | 2025 | 11,413 | −4.3 pts |
State rates are each board's own reporting year, which may be calendar, fiscal or academic, so differences of a point or two between states are not meaningful on their own. National rate: NCSBN, 2025.Portions copyrighted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. All rights reserved. 41 more states are being added.