NCLEX pass rates in Texas
88.6% of Texas nursing graduates passed the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt in 2025, 1.9 points above the 86.7% national rate for 2025. In 2023 the figure was 91.3%.
First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in Texas
- 2023 14,899 first-time takers91.3%
- 2024 15,323 first-time takers92.8%
- 2025 16,451 first-time takers88.6%
United States, 2025: 86.7%
All programs combined, US-educated first-time candidates. Source: Texas 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) | 55 | 9,177 | 89.0% | 87.6% |
| Associate (ADN) | 61 | 7,077 | 88.2% | 86.1% |
| Entry-level master's | 2 | 65 | 92.3% | – |
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 117 ranked programs
30 programs at 95% or higher, 44 programs at 90% to 94.9%, 33 programs at 80% to 89.9%, 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeTourneau University | BSN | 100.0% | 35 |
| Texas State University | BSN | 100.0% | 249 |
| Kilgore College | ADN | 100.0% | 112 |
| Abilene Christian University | BSN | 99.3% | 136 |
| Victoria College | ADN | 99.2% | 264 |
| Texas A&M University HSC College of Nursing | BSN | 99.0% | 680 |
| Texas Christian University | BSN | 98.4% | 616 |
| Texas Lutheran University | Entry-level master's | 98.4% | 64 |
| The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston | BSN | 98.1% | 849 |
| Houston Christian University | BSN | 97.8% | 136 |
Every ranked BSN program, with cost and pay, is on BSN programs in Texas.
Practical nursing (NCLEX-PN)
Graduates of practical and vocational nursing programs in Texas passed the NCLEX-PN on their first attempt 91.9% 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 Texas. See how to get a nursing license in Texas. Registered nurses in Texas earned a median $95,970 in May 2025.