Top 10 States with the Highest NCLEX-RN Pass Rates
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Key Takeaways
- New Hampshire leads the nation with a 96.2% NCLEX-RN pass rate
- All top 10 states exceed the national average, with rates above 93%
- Geographic diversity spans from Alaska to Vermont, suggesting success isn’t region-specific
- The gap between #1 and #10 is just 3.1 percentage points, indicating relatively consistent high performance
New Hampshire’s first-place finish at 96.2% reflects sustained excellence in nursing education, with North Dakota and Nebraska close behind at 95.5% and 95.0% respectively. The consistency among top performers is striking, even Colorado at #10 maintains a 93.1% pass rate, demonstrating that multiple pathways to nursing education excellence exist across diverse state contexts.
The absence of traditional education powerhouses from this list is telling. Success in nursing exam appears less tied to state size, wealth, or established academic reputation. States like Wyoming (#4) and Vermont (#7) prove that smaller populations can compete effectively when resources are properly allocated.
The tight clustering of the top 10 states, all within 3.1 percentage points suggests that top-performing states may have implemented similar best practices, clinical training requirements, and student support systems. Overall, excellence is replicable, and less performing states can replicate the winning strategies of the top 10.