How to get in
- Application deadline
- Not published: opens Cal State Apply: October 1; NursingCAS: December 15, closes February 1, 8:59 p.m. Pacific TimeSee it in the deadlines table
- Selection method
- Not published by the schooloptional documented experiences earn points Details and source
- TEAS minimum
- Entrance exam, in the school’s words: None listed
- Prerequisites
- 5 courses listed by the school See the list
Check yourself against these published rules
A checklist against the school’s published rules only: this is not a prediction of a decision. Section minimums, GPA, grade and recency rules, and anything else the school lists still apply; read the full requirements above.
Admissions requirements
Here is what San Francisco State University publishes about applying to its ELM program, taken from the school’s own website, catalog or application documents. Each row links to the page we used and shows the date we checked it. Requirements change from cycle to cycle, so confirm with the school before you apply.
| Requirement | What the school publishes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance exam | None listed | SourceChecked |
| Minimum overall score | Not applicable | SourceChecked |
| Section minimums | Not published by the school | SourceChecked |
| Minimum GPA, overall | 3.0 in last 60 semester units (bachelor's degree required at application) | SourceChecked |
| Minimum GPA, prerequisites or science | No prereq GPA minimum stated; C or better in sciences | SourceChecked |
| Selection method | Not published by the schooloptional documented experiences earn points | SourceChecked |
| Application opens | Cal State Apply Oct 1; NursingCAS Dec 15 | SourceChecked |
| Application closes | Feb 1, 8:59 pm PT | SourceChecked |
| Published applicant and admit counts | Not published by the school | SourceChecked |
How we label selection. SEAPHE sorts each school’s stated method into one of five groups: Lottery, Points (ranked), Points and lottery (hybrid), Holistic review or Eligibility-based. The school’s own wording appears under the label, with a link to the page we used. How California nursing schools choose students.
Prerequisite courses
Course names are the school’s; the grey label is the category SEAPHE uses in the prerequisite planner.
| Course | Requirements | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Human Anatomy with LabAnatomy |
| SourceChecked |
| Human Physiology with LabPhysiology |
| SourceChecked |
| Survey of Chemistry with Lab (general, inorganic, organic or integrated)Chemistry |
| SourceChecked |
| General Microbiology with LabMicrobiology |
| SourceChecked |
| Statistics (business or psych stats acceptable)Statistics |
| SourceChecked |
© Enzo Creationz LLC. All rights reserved. You may read and quote this with credit to “SEAPHE Nursing Data, seaphe.org”, but please don’t bulk-copy or redistribute it. Details
SEAPHE collected these details from official school pages. “Not published by the school” means we couldn’t find the detail on the school’s public pages when we checked; we don’t estimate missing values. “Could not be retrieved from the school’s website” means the page was blocked or wouldn’t load. Spot an error? See our corrections policy.
Admissions
The BRN does not publish acceptance rates for individual schools. Across California’s ELM programs, 33.6% of 3,322 qualified applications were accepted in 2024–25.4 This program is approved for 20 new students a year.2 Ask the school for last cycle’s qualified applicants and seats.
Applied here? Share your results in our 2-minute anonymous survey. It helps future applicants see what other applicants reported.
Cost
The BRN lists a cost of $40,220 before financial aid (Tuition + Books).2 That figure comes from the school’s report to the Board and may not include housing, transport or exam fees. Check the program’s current cost of attendance.
Key facts
Last updated
- In 2024–25, 73.9% of 23 first-time NCLEX-RN testers from San Francisco State University (ELM) passed, compared with a California average of 90.2%. Source: CA BRN NCLEX-RN pass-rate tables, retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
- Across 2020–21 to 2024–25, its tester-weighted first-time pass rate was 82.2% over 163 testers (SEAPHE calculation). Source: CA BRN NCLEX-RN pass-rate tables, retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
- The BRN lists an approved enrollment of 20 new students per year for this program. Source: CA BRN list of approved RN programs, retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
- Its nursing program accreditation, as reported to the BRN, is CCNE. Source: CA BRN accreditation and attrition table, retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
NCLEX pass rates
In 2024–25, 73.9% of 23 first-time testers passed the NCLEX-RN, 16.3 points below the California average of 90.2%. Over five years, 82.2% of 163 testers passed.1
First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, by reporting year
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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.
| Year (Jul–Jun) | Testers | Pass rate | California | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | 35 | 91.4% | 89.2% | +2.2 |
| 2021–22 | 43 | 86.0% | 85.9% | +0.1 |
| 2022–23 | 40 | 77.5% | 85.7% | -8.2 |
| 2023–24 | 22 | 77.3% | 94.0% | -16.7 |
| 2024–25 | 23 | 73.9% | 90.2% | -16.3 |
Completion and attrition
In 2023–24, the program reported 100% on-time completion and 0% attrition to the BRN.3
| Year (Aug–Jul) | On-time completion | Attrition |
|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | 0.0% | 50.0% |
| 2020–21 | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| 2021–22 | 95.0% | 5.0% |
| 2022–23 | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| 2023–24 | 100.0% | 0.0% |
Self-reported by the program to UCSF for the BRN Annual School Survey.
Accreditation and program facts
| State approval | California BRN |
| Institution | ACCJC/WASC-JC |
| Nursing program | CCNE |
| Degree | ELM |
| State | California |
| City | San Francisco |
| Sector | Public |
| Admits | Generic pre-licensure |
| Phone | (415) 338-1801 |
| Website | Visit |
State approval and program details from CA BRN, Approved Pre-Licensure RN Programs. Institutional and nursing program accreditation from CA BRN, Accreditation, Attrition and On Time Completion Rates. Retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
Similar programs
| Program | Testers | 2024–25 | 5-year |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of the PacificSacramento | 41 | 97.6% | 97.4%2-yr avg |
| California Baptist UniversityRiverside | 40 | 95.0% | 88.3% |
| Western University of Health SciencesPomona | 72 | 93.1% | 90.8%4-yr avg |
| UC DavisSacramento | 46 | 89.1% | 88.9% |
| Charles Drew UniversityLos Angeles | 45 | 86.7% | 84.9% |
| UC Los AngelesLos Angeles | 67 | 85.1% | 88.0% |
Sources
- California BRN, NCLEX-RN Pass Rates, First Time CA Educated Exam Testers, 2020–21 to 2024–25. Retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
- California BRN, Approved Pre-Licensure RN Programs (cost, enrollment, sector). Retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
- California BRN, Accreditation, Attrition and On Time Completion Rates. Retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
- California BRN, 2024–25 Annual School Report: Data Summary, Table 3, p. 3.
SEAPHE Editorial Team. Data updated Oct 7, 2026. Spot an error? See our corrections policy.
How to cite this data
Suggested citation: SEAPHE. (2026). San Francisco State University (ELM): NCLEX-RN pass rates and program data [Data set]. Compiled from California Board of Registered Nursing public records. https://seaphe.org/schools/san-francisco-state-university-elm/ (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.