Compare every California nursing program on the numbers that matter
First-time NCLEX pass rates, admissions, completion, cost and accreditation for all 161 open programs approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, with a source on every figure.
Highest pass rates
First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, 2024–25. Rule: open programs with 30 or more first-time testers, ranked by the exact BRN rate (ties: more testers first). See all programs
- Ventura CollegeADN100.00%
- Rio Hondo CollegeADN100.00%
- Santa Monica CollegeADN100.00%
- LA Harbor CollegeADN100.00%
- Moorpark CollegeADN100.00%
- Mira Costa CollegeADN100.00%
- Monterey Peninsula CollegeADN100.00%
Lowest pass rates
Same measure. Rule: open programs with 30 or more first-time testers, lowest exact BRN rate first (ties: more testers first). The BRN standard is 75% (black tick). See all programs
- Charles Drew UniversityBSN65.7%
- Smith Chason CollegeADN69.8%
- Fresno City CollegeADN78.17%
- Dominican University of CaliforniaBSN78.23%
- Samuel Merritt UniversityBSN79.2%
- LA City CollegeADN79.6%
- Chamberlain University, IrwindaleBSN79.8%
Hardest to get into
Share of qualified applications accepted, 2024–25, by program type. Per-school rates aren’t published. Admissions data
- BSN (bachelor’s)29.9%
- ELM (entry-level master’s)33.6%
- ADN (generic associate)35.0%
- LVN-to-ADN56.2%
Source: BRN 2024–25 Annual School Report, Table 3, p. 3.
How every program did on the NCLEX in 2024–25
54 of 148 open programs with 2024–25 testers passed 95% or more of them. 4 fell below the 75% standard, 1 of them with a single tester.
First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate by program, 2024–25
Each dot is one open program. Hover, tap or tab to a dot to see its name and number of testers.
Two of every three qualified applications were turned away
Applications to California pre-licensure RN programs. Counts are applications, not people.
From application to enrollment, 2024–25
All program types.
Share of qualified applications accepted, 2015–16 to 2024–25
Qualified applications rose from 28,041 to 64,075; admission spaces grew 65%, from 11,928 to 19,724 (BRN Annual School Report, Table 4).
Share or embed these charts
First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate by program, 2024–25
Free to republish under CC BY 4.0: credit “SEAPHE Nursing Data, seaphe.org” with a link back. The iframe updates when our data does; the image is a fixed snapshot.
From application to enrollment, 2024–25
Free to republish under CC BY 4.0: credit “SEAPHE Nursing Data, seaphe.org” with a link back. The iframe updates when our data does; the image is a fixed snapshot.
Share of qualified applications accepted, 2015–16 to 2024–25
Free to republish under CC BY 4.0: credit “SEAPHE Nursing Data, seaphe.org” with a link back. The iframe updates when our data does; the image is a fixed snapshot.
Why one year’s pass rate can mislead
A pass rate is a share of first-time testers, so a program with one or two graduates sitting the exam can swing from 0% to 100% between years. That tells you almost nothing about the program.
SEAPHE flags any rate based on fewer than 20 testers and shows the five-year average beside it. Compare the latest year with the five-year record before drawing conclusions.
| Program | 2024–25 testers | 2024–25 rate | 5-year rate (testers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chabot College | 1 | 0.0% | 97.5% (120) |
| San Diego City College | 1 | 100.0% | 99.5% (211) |
| Weimar University | 8 | 100.0% | 94.0% (50) |
| Madera College | 14 | 92.9% | 94.6% (56) |
Browse by city
Cities with the most open BRN-approved programs. All 174 programs A–Z (161 open)
Guides
Written by the SEAPHE Editorial Team from public, source-cited data.
How to Choose a California BSN Program
A checklist for comparing BSN programs on licensure outcomes, accreditation, completion and true cost.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 5 min read
ADN vs. BSN: Which Nursing Degree Is Right for You in California?
Community college or university? What the pass-rate data says, and how RN-to-BSN pathways change the math.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 10 min read
TEAS vs. HESI A2: Key Differences and Which Exam to Take
How the two entrance exams differ, what sections to expect, and how to plan your study time.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 9 min read
What Is a Good NCLEX Pass Rate?
How to read pass rates, why cohort size matters, and the red flags worth asking a program about.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 7 min read
Entry-Level Master’s (ELM) Programs, Explained
Already have a bachelor’s in another field? How ELM programs work and who they suit.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 8 min read
ACEN vs. CCNE: Does Nursing Accreditation Matter?
When national accreditation matters for grad school and jobs, and when it doesn’t.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 6 min read
From the data desk
Rankings and comparisons built from California Board of Registered Nursing data.
Best Nursing Schools in California, Ranked by NCLEX Pass Rate
Top BSN, ADN and ELM programs by five-year first-time NCLEX-RN results, plus the leaders in each region.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · Updated Oct 9, 2026 · 7 min read
CSU Nursing Programs Compared: Pass Rates, Seats, Cost and Impaction
All 17 CSU pre-licensure BSN programs side by side, from BRN data and the CSU impaction matrix.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · Updated Oct 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Nursing Schools in Los Angeles: Every RN Program Compared
All 44 BRN-approved RN programs in LA County with NCLEX pass rates, seats and listed cost.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · Updated Oct 9, 2026 · 8 min read
About this data
Last updated
Retrieved from the BRN on Oct 7, 2026. Pass rates cover first-time, California-educated testers, July–June reporting years.
Sources
NCLEX pass-rate tables, approved program list, attrition and accreditation table, and annual school reports.
Download
Pass rates CSV · Admissions CSV · JSON. Pass-rate data: CC BY 4.0, credit “SEAPHE Nursing Data, seaphe.org” with a link back.
Corrections
Schools can’t pay to appear or rank. Spot an error? Our corrections policy explains how we fix it in public.
Key facts
Last updated
- In 2024–25, 90.2% of 15,874 first-time NCLEX-RN testers from 154 California programs passed (SEAPHE tester-weighted calculation). Source: CA BRN NCLEX-RN pass-rate tables, retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
- Only 32.1% of 64,075 qualified applications to California pre-licensure RN programs were accepted in 2024–25 (20,556 acceptances). Source: CA BRN 2024–25 Annual School Report, retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
- By degree type in 2024–25, first-time pass rates were 92.1% for ADN, 89.0% for BSN and 88.3% for entry-level master’s (ELM) graduates. Source: CA BRN NCLEX-RN pass-rate tables, retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
- SEAPHE counts 161 open pre-licensure RN programs on the California Board of Registered Nursing's approved list, excluding programs that are closed or not on the BRN list and those not accepting new students. 13 closed, off-list or non-enrolling programs keep their pages for the historical record (174 program pages in all). Source: CA BRN list of approved RN programs, retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
How to cite this data
Suggested citation: SEAPHE. (2026). California nursing program data: NCLEX-RN pass rates and admissions [Data set]. Compiled from California Board of Registered Nursing public records. https://seaphe.org/ (updated Oct 7, 2026).
Original source: California BRN, NCLEX-RN Pass Rates: First Time CA Educated Exam Testers; California BRN, Approved Pre-Licensure RN Programs; 2024-2025 Annual School Report: Data Summary for Pre-Licensure Nursing Programs (BRN / UCSF, Aug 24, 2026).