What Is a Good NCLEX Pass Rate?

A program at 88% looked strong in 2022–23, when the state averaged 85.7%, and below par in 2023–24, when it averaged 94.0%. The BRN counts academic years from July 1 to June 30, so 2023–24 was the first full year of the Next Generation NCLEX. The jump coincided with it; this data cannot tell us what caused it.

For national context, NCSBN reports that 86.7% of first-time, U.S.-educated candidates passed the NCLEX-RN in calendar year 2025, out of 192,916 testers. Because the BRN reports by academic year, the two are not an exact match.

One more caution about averages: they are weighted by testers, so big programs dominate. West Coast University alone accounted for about 35% of California's BSN first-time testers over the five years. Every SEAPHE school profile charts a program's rate against the state line for each year.

Why cohort size matters

Each tester is a bigger slice of a small program's rate. With 20 testers, one failure costs five percentage points. With 200 testers, it costs half a point. In 2024–25 the median California program had 63 first-time testers, 22 programs had fewer than 30, and 5 had just one, making their rate either 0% or 100%.

You can see the effect over time. Among the 27 programs that reported all five years and averaged fewer than 40 testers a year, the median gap between their highest and lowest year was 22.2 percentage points. Among the 15 programs averaging 150 or more testers, it was 8.7 points. A 100% year from a small program is worth celebrating, but it is weak evidence on its own.

Look at five years, not one

Multi-year averages smooth out lucky and unlucky cohorts. Among the 135 active California programs with at least 100 first-time testers over five years, 74 averaged 90% or higher, and 5 averaged below 80%. Our NCLEX pass rate table shows each program's five-year, tester-weighted average next to its yearly results, and you can sort or filter by degree type.

Also look at the direction. A program that has climbed from the low 80s to above the state average may have fixed real problems. One that has slid for three straight years deserves questions, even if its average still looks fine.

Pass rates and attrition belong together

A pass rate leaves out everyone who never reached the exam. The BRN's 2024–25 annual school report put statewide attrition at 7.4% and on-time completion at 84.6%, with generic ADN programs at 8.8% attrition and BSN programs at 83.1% on-time completion. A program that dismisses many struggling students before graduation can post a high pass rate without teaching more students through. SEAPHE school profiles show each program's self-reported attrition and on-time completion by year.

Questions to ask a program

• No year or tester count. Ask for first-time rates and tester numbers for each of the last three to five years, then check them against the BRN table.
• "Ultimate" pass rates. Ask for the first-time rate instead.
• Rates below the state average for several years, or any year below 75%. Ask what changed and what the improvement plan includes.
• High pass rate, high attrition. Ask how many students who start graduate on time, and how many are dismissed.
• Exit-exam gates. Some programs require students to pass a standardized predictor exam before they graduate or are cleared to test. Ask whether that applies and how many students were delayed.
• Brand-new programs. A program without NCLEX results yet is not necessarily bad, but you are taking on more uncertainty. Ask about faculty, clinical placements and national accreditation plans.

A quick way to rate what you see

This is SEAPHE's reading guide, not an official standard:

• Strong: at or above the state average in most of the last five years, with a steady or rising trend and at least a few dozen testers a year.
• Worth a closer look: mostly a few points below the state average, very small cohorts, or a recent drop.
• Ask for details: any recent year below the 75% standard, or a five-year average well below the state average.

Pass rates are one piece. Combine them with cost, completion and admissions rules using our BSN checklist or ADN vs. BSN guide, and shortlist programs in the program finder.