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SchoolsData as of Oct 7, 2026

Vanguard University nursing program: how to get in

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN): requirements, deadlines, NCLEX pass rates and data

Costa Mesa, CA · Private · BRN-approved · CCNE-accredited

Vanguard University BSN in Costa Mesa: the application window is open now and closes Dec 1, 2026; selection method: holistic review; published TEAS minimum: 65% (75% preferred); 30 BRN-approved new students a year; listed cost $159,400 (Tuition + Books). From the school’s pages and the BRN; details and sources below.

  • Application windowOpen now · closes Dec 1, 2026
  • Selection methodHolistic review
  • TEAS minimum65% (75% preferred)
  • Approved seats per year (BRN)30
  • NCLEX pass rate, 2024–2596.2% (26 testers)
  • Listed cost, before aid$159,400
Compare BSN programsProgram website
NCLEX pass rate
96.2%2024–25
Blue: this program · dashed: California
’20–21’21–22’22–23’23–24’24–25100%60%
First-time testers
262024–25
Graduates sitting the NCLEX for the first time
24’20–2136’21–2230’22–2341’23–2426’24–25
On-time completion
68%2023–24
Self-reported to the BRN
’19–20’20–21’21–22’22–23’23–24100%60%
Attrition
0%2023–24
Share of students who left the program
0%’19–203%’20–219%’21–220%’22–230%’23–24

How to get in

Application deadline
Fall 2027: opens Aug 1, 2026, closes Dec 1, 2026 Open nowSpring 2027: opens Jun 1, 2026, closes August 1 (transfer spring cohort deadline)See it in the deadlines table
Selection method
Holistic reviewCompetitive: cumulative GPA, prerequisite GPA, TEAS, application essay, proctored writing session, letters of recommendation; Vanguard pre-nursing students given preference Details and source
TEAS minimum
65% (75% preferred) Check your score
Prerequisites
9 courses listed by the school See the list
Check yourself against these published rules
Prerequisites you have completed or will finish in time

    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 Vanguard University publishes about applying to its BSN 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.

    RequirementWhat the school publishesSource
    Entrance examATI TEAS (version 5.0+; earlier versions not accepted)SourceChecked
    Minimum overall score65% (75% preferred)SourceChecked
    Section minimumsNot published by the schoolSourceChecked
    Minimum GPA, overall3.0 minimum overall (prerequisites)SourceChecked
    Minimum GPA, prerequisites or sciencePrerequisite GPA considered; C or higher eachSourceChecked
    Selection methodHolistic reviewCompetitive: cumulative GPA, prerequisite GPA, TEAS, application essay, proctored writing session, letters of recommendation; Vanguard pre-nursing students given preferenceSourceChecked
    Application opensNot published by the schoolSourceChecked
    Application closesNot published by the schoolsupplemental application deadline on nursing websiteSourceChecked
    Program cost (school figure)Not published by the schoolSourceChecked
    Cohort startsFall and springSourceChecked
    Published applicant and admit countsMaximum 30 students per cohort (fall and spring)No term givenSourceChecked

    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.

    Published applicant and admit counts: numbers the school itself publishes about its applicants and admissions, with the term or year the school gives; formats vary by school. No term given: the school published this figure without saying which cycle it covers. The BRN does not publish per-school applicant or admit counts.

    Prerequisite courses

    Course names are the school’s; the grey label is the category SEAPHE uses in the prerequisite planner.

    CourseRequirementsSource
    BIOL 100C/CL Fundamentals of BiologyGeneral biology
    Units
    3/1
    Lab
    Yes
    Minimum grade
    C or higher; prerequisite GPA 3.0
    Recency limit
    Not published by the school
    When to complete
    Two pre-nursing years (max two science prerequisites in progress at acceptance)
    		SourceChecked
    BIOL 204C/CL Human AnatomyAnatomy
    Units
    3/1
    Lab
    Yes
    Minimum grade
    C or higher; prerequisite GPA 3.0
    Recency limit
    Not published by the school
    When to complete
    Two pre-nursing years (max two science prerequisites in progress at acceptance)
    		SourceChecked
    BIOL 304/L Human Physiology & LabPhysiology
    Units
    3/1
    Lab
    Yes
    Minimum grade
    C or higher; prerequisite GPA 3.0
    Recency limit
    Not published by the school
    When to complete
    Two pre-nursing years (max two science prerequisites in progress at acceptance)
    		SourceChecked
    BIOL 209/L Principles of Microbiology & LabMicrobiology
    Units
    3/1
    Lab
    Yes
    Minimum grade
    C or higher; prerequisite GPA 3.0
    Recency limit
    Not published by the school
    When to complete
    Two pre-nursing years (max two science prerequisites in progress at acceptance)
    		SourceChecked
    CHEM 210C/L Integrated Chemistry & LabChemistry
    Units
    4/1
    Lab
    Yes
    Minimum grade
    C or higher; prerequisite GPA 3.0
    Recency limit
    Not published by the school
    When to complete
    Two pre-nursing years (max two science prerequisites in progress at acceptance)
    		SourceChecked
    MATH 270C Health Professions Statistical MethodsStatistics
    Units
    3
    Lab
    No
    Minimum grade
    C or higher; prerequisite GPA 3.0
    Recency limit
    Not published by the school
    When to complete
    Two pre-nursing years (max two science prerequisites in progress at acceptance)
    		SourceChecked
    PSYC 103C Intro to PsychologyPsychology
    Units
    3
    Lab
    No
    Minimum grade
    C or higher; prerequisite GPA 3.0
    Recency limit
    Not published by the school
    When to complete
    Two pre-nursing years (max two science prerequisites in progress at acceptance)
    		SourceChecked
    ENGL 120C Persuasive WritingEnglish composition
    Units
    3
    Lab
    No
    Minimum grade
    C or higher; prerequisite GPA 3.0
    Recency limit
    Not published by the school
    When to complete
    Two pre-nursing years (max two science prerequisites in progress at acceptance)
    		SourceChecked
    COMM 201C Speech Composition and PresentationCommunication (speech)
    Units
    3
    Lab
    No
    Minimum grade
    C or higher; prerequisite GPA 3.0
    Recency limit
    Not published by the school
    When to complete
    Two pre-nursing years (max two science prerequisites in progress at acceptance)
    		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 BSN programs, 29.9% of 37,452 qualified applications were accepted in 2024–25.4 This program is approved for 30 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.

    California nursing school acceptance rates →

    Cost

    The BRN lists a cost of $159,400 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

    NCLEX pass rates

    In 2024–25, 96.2% of 26 first-time testers passed the NCLEX-RN, 6.0 points above the California average of 90.2%. Over five years, 83.4% of 157 testers passed.1

    Compare every program: California NCLEX pass rates by school.

    First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, by reporting year

    Vanguard University (BSN)California, all programs
    60%70%80%90%100%2020–212021–222022–232023–242024–2591.7%66.7%80.0%87.8%96.2%Vanguard UniversityCalifornia
    60%70%80%90%100%’20–21’21–22’22–23’23–24’24–2591.7%66.7%80.0%87.8%96.2%
    Data source: CA BRN NCLEX-RN pass-rate tables; California average is a SEAPHE tester-weighted calculation.Download CSV
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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.

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    Year (Jul–Jun)TestersPass rateCaliforniavs. state
    2020–212491.7%89.2%+2.5
    2021–223666.7%85.9%-19.2
    2022–233080.0%85.7%-5.7
    2023–244187.8%94.0%-6.2
    2024–252696.2%90.2%+6.0

    Completion and attrition

    In 2023–24, the program reported 68% on-time completion and 0% attrition to the BRN.3

    Year (Aug–Jul)On-time completionAttrition
    2019–20100.0%0.0%
    2020–2197.0%3.0%
    2021–2288.0%9.0%
    2022–23100.0%0.0%
    2023–2468.0%0.0%

    Self-reported by the program to UCSF for the BRN Annual School Survey.

    Accreditation and program facts

    State approvalCalifornia BRN
    InstitutionWSCUC
    Nursing programCCNE
    DegreeBSN
    StateCalifornia
    CityCosta Mesa
    SectorPrivate
    AdmitsGeneric pre-licensure
    Phone(800) 722-6279
    WebsiteVisit

    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.

    What ACEN, CCNE and CNEA mean →

    Similar programs

    Open private BSN programs with 30+ first-time testers in 2024–25, by pass rate.

    ProgramTesters2024–255-year
    Point Loma Nazarene UniversitySan Diego5496.3%89.8%
    Simpson UniversityRedding4395.3%94.9%
    Stanbridge UniversityIrvine33295.2%96.0%2-yr avg
    Concordia University IrvineIrvine12395.1%96.5%
    Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts, ConcordConcord9193.4%84.5%4-yr avg
    Westmont CollegeSanta Barbara3992.3%93.2%2-yr avg

    Sources

    1. California BRN, NCLEX-RN Pass Rates, First Time CA Educated Exam Testers, 2020–21 to 2024–25. Retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
    2. California BRN, Approved Pre-Licensure RN Programs (cost, enrollment, sector). Retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
    3. California BRN, Accreditation, Attrition and On Time Completion Rates. Retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
    4. 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

    Last updated . Please cite SEAPHE and the original public source.

    Suggested citation: SEAPHE. (2026). Vanguard University (BSN): NCLEX-RN pass rates and program data [Data set]. Compiled from California Board of Registered Nursing public records. https://seaphe.org/schools/vanguard-university-bsn/ (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.

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