NCLEX Pass Rates by State (2026)

TL;DR

The U.S. national first-time-taker pass rate for the NCLEX-RN sits in the 85–88% band most quarters. State-level rates range roughly from 78% to 95%, but the variation says more about which schools sit in each state than about the state itself. Repeat-taker pass rates are dramatically lower (~45–50% nationally), which tells you something important: preparation matters far more than geography.

Authoritative source. NCSBN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing) publishes quarterly pass-rate reports at ncsbn.org/exams/exam-statistics-and-publications. State boards of nursing publish school-level breakdowns. The numbers below are aggregated state totals for first-time U.S.-educated test-takers — the population most NCLEX prep articles are talking about.

2026 first-time-taker pass rates (selected states)

Pass rates compiled from publicly published NCSBN quarterly summaries. Numbers vary quarter to quarter — check NCSBN directly for the latest. The list below includes the largest states by candidate volume plus historically high and low performers.

State	First-time pass rate (range)	Notes
Connecticut	~92–95%	Consistently top tier; small candidate volume.
Massachusetts	~91–94%	BSN-heavy; strong programs.
South Dakota	~91–94%	Smaller programs, tight cohorts.
New Hampshire	~90–93%	BSN-leaning, low ADN share.
Oregon	~89–92%	Prelicensure programs concentrated in fewer schools.
North Dakota	~89–92%	Similar pattern to SD.
Utah	~88–91%	Strong public-university ADN/BSN mix.
Wisconsin	~87–90%	Diverse program mix; consistent.
Iowa	~87–90%	Strong rural-school cohorts.
Texas	~85–88%	High volume; wide range across schools.
California	~84–87%	Highest candidate volume in the country.
Florida	~80–84%	Many for-profit programs pull the average down.
New York	~83–86%	Wide variance by program type.
Illinois	~83–86%	Mix of BSN-strong urban and ADN rural.
Georgia	~82–85%	Volatile; large for-profit footprint.
Puerto Rico	~78–82%	Lower historically — different program structure.

Ranges reflect normal quarter-to-quarter variation; treat as orientation, not gospel. NCSBN's quarterly report is the canonical source.

Why pass rates vary

Three things drive most of the spread:

• School mix. Programs that admit selectively, run rigorous internal NCLEX prep, and use high-stakes exit exams produce higher first-time pass rates. States that have a heavier mix of for-profit and accelerated programs tend to land lower in aggregate even if individual schools do fine.
• BSN vs ADN ratio. Historically BSN candidates pass at slightly higher rates than ADN candidates nationally — but the difference is smaller than the variance between schools of the same degree level.
• Candidate volume and diversity. Small states with one or two big programs swing more on cohort effects. Large states are more stable.

Repeat-taker pass rates

U.S.-educated repeat takers pass at roughly 40–50% nationally — a dramatic drop from the first-time number. Two reasons:

• Candidates who failed the first time often retest with the same prep approach. The NCSBN candidate report (Candidate Performance Report, sent post-fail) tells you which content areas were weak — most repeat takers don't change their plan based on it.
• The NCLEX is a Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT). It estimates your ability over the first ~20 questions and then keeps narrowing. If your foundation in a content area was actually weak, you'll feel the same trap pattern again — cramming review books rarely fixes pattern-level gaps.

What works for repeat takers: diagnostic-driven study. Identify which categories cratered (the CPR shows you), drill those specifically with timed adaptive practice, and use a tool that diagnoses your error pattern (gap vs misread vs second-guess) rather than just your error rate.

What state pass rates don't tell you

State pass rates are an aggregate, not a forecast. They tell you that some students in a state pass at X rate. They tell you almost nothing about whether you will pass.

The variables that actually predict your pass probability:

• Mock-exam performance in the 4 weeks before the test. Students who score ≥75% on three full-length, randomized mock exams pass at very high rates. Students who never finish a full mock have higher fail rates.
• NCLEX content-area coverage. If you've drilled all 8 NCSBN test-plan categories with at least 100 questions in each, you're in a different bucket than someone who drilled only their comfort zones.
• Days of consistent study in the 30 days before the test. 20+ active days >> a 12-hour cram weekend.
• Mistake-pattern resolution. Did your accuracy on previously missed topics actually rise after re-drilling, or did you keep missing the same categories?

If you're using these numbers to pick a school

State-level data is too coarse for that. Look up your school's program-level pass rate on your state's board-of-nursing website (most boards publish annual reports). Compare against the state average. A program that runs 15+ percentage points below its state mean for two years running is a yellow flag — that's program quality showing up, not regional luck.

How to use this data

• For prospective nursing students: Ignore state averages. Pull your target school's program-level pass rate.
• For current nursing students: Don't read the state number as your fate. Read your CPR (if a repeat taker) or your school's exit exam (if a first-time taker) — both predict your outcome better.
• For nurse educators: NCSBN's school-level data feeds your accreditation review. It also feeds Nursing Honor Society and other rankings — but again, the volatility is high quarter to quarter.

Bottom line

The national first-time-taker pass rate is healthy. The variability is mostly explained by school mix, not state geography. Whether you pass is far more about how you prepared than where you took the test. Build your prep around real diagnostic feedback, not aspirational averages.