NCLEX pass rates in Washington
84.7% of Washington nursing graduates passed the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt in 2025, 2.0 points below the 86.7% national rate for 2025. In 2021 the figure was 86.6%.
First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in Washington
- 2021 2,598 first-time takers86.6%
- 2022 2,713 first-time takers82.9%
- 2023 2,797 first-time takers89.2%
- 2024 2,821 first-time takers92.2%
- 2025 2,983 first-time takers84.7%
United States, 2025: 86.7%
All programs combined, US-educated first-time candidates. Source: Washington board of nursing (opens in a new tab), calendar. National rate from NCSBN (opens in a new tab). 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) | 15 | 1,268 | 85.6% | 87.6% |
| Associate (ADN) | 26 | 1,664 | 84.4% | 86.1% |
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 41 ranked programs
6 programs at 95% or higher, 13 programs at 90% to 94.9%, 18 programs at 80% to 89.9%, 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bend Community College | ADN | 100.0% | 49 |
| Bellingham Technical College | ADN | 96.2% | 184 |
| Skagit Valley College | ADN | 95.9% | 194 |
| Gonzaga University | BSN | 95.8% | 236 |
| Green River College | BSN | 95.6% | 45 |
| Whatcom Community College | ADN | 95.4% | 109 |
| South Puget Sound Community College | ADN | 94.7% | 94 |
| Spokane Community College | ADN | 94.4% | 287 |
| Walla Walla University | BSN | 94.3% | 141 |
| Centralia College | ADN | 93.8% | 81 |
Every ranked BSN program, with cost and pay, is on BSN programs in Washington.
Practical nursing (NCLEX-PN)
Graduates of practical and vocational nursing programs in Washington passed the NCLEX-PN on their first attempt 90.5% 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 Washington. Registered nurses in Washington earned a median $124,200 in May 2025.
Common questions
What is the NCLEX-RN pass rate in Washington?
84.7% of Washington nursing graduates passed the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt in 2025, 2.0 points below the 86.7% national rate for 2025.
Which Washington nursing program has the highest NCLEX pass rate?
Among the 41 ranked programs, Big Bend Community College has the highest three-year first-time pass rate at 100.0%. Only programs with at least 20 first-time test-takers are ranked.
Does the pass rate count students who retake the exam?
No. The rates here are for first-time test-takers educated in the United States. Candidates who retake the exam are not counted in a program’s first-time rate.
Why do small programs swing so much from year to year?
A program with a few dozen test-takers can move several points on one or two results. We pool three years and rank only programs with at least 20 first-time test-takers to reduce that noise.