| Jurisdiction | 1st-Time Pass Rate | First-Time Candidates | Passed | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 96.5% | 836 | 807 | 1 |
| North Dakota | 96.4% | 591 | 570 | 2 |
| Nebraska | 95.1% | 1,153 | 1,096 | 3 |
| Tennessee | 94.9% | 4,075 | 3,866 | 4 |
| Wyoming | 94.8% | 326 | 309 | 5 |
| South Carolina | 94.7% | 2,964 | 2,807 | 6 |
| Massachusetts | 94.2% | 3,768 | 3,548 | 7 |
| Pennsylvania | 94.1% | 8,062 | 7,587 | 8 |
| North Carolina | 94.1% | 4,830 | 4,544 | 8 |
| Arizona | 93.8% | 4,658 | 4,367 | 10 |
| Kansas | 93.5% | 1,750 | 1,637 | 11 |
| Louisiana | 93.5% | 2,516 | 2,353 | 11 |
| Colorado | 93.4% | 2,281 | 2,130 | 13 |
| Alabama | 93.4% | 3,748 | 3,499 | 13 |
| South Dakota | 93.3% | 727 | 678 | 15 |
| Delaware | 93.3% | 519 | 484 | 15 |
| Missouri | 93.2% | 3,751 | 3,496 | 17 |
| Vermont | 93.1% | 391 | 364 | 18 |
| Maryland | 93.0% | 2,733 | 2,542 | 19 |
| Mississippi | 93.0% | 2,118 | 1,969 | 19 |
| Iowa | 92.8% | 2,091 | 1,941 | 21 |
| West Virginia | 92.8% | 1,621 | 1,504 | 21 |
| Texas | 92.7% | 15,327 | 14,215 | 23 |
| California | 92.7% | 15,499 | 14,368 | 23 |
| Montana | 92.6% | 689 | 638 | 25 |
| Wisconsin | 92.5% | 4,068 | 3,761 | 26 |
| Idaho | 92.4% | 1,071 | 990 | 27 |
| Virginia | 92.3% | 4,916 | 4,537 | 28 |
| Washington | 92.2% | 2,822 | 2,602 | 29 |
| Oregon | 92.2% | 1,829 | 1,686 | 29 |
| Georgia | 92.1% | 5,134 | 4,728 | 31 |
| Michigan | 92.0% | 4,915 | 4,521 | 32 |
| Maine | 92.0% | 935 | 860 | 32 |
| Rhode Island | 91.9% | 762 | 700 | 34 |
| Indiana | 91.8% | 4,138 | 3,797 | 35 |
| Connecticut | 91.7% | 2,163 | 1,983 | 36 |
| Alaska | 91.6% | 285 | 261 | 37 |
| Arkansas | 91.1% | 2,332 | 2,125 | 38 |
| New Mexico | 90.8% | 1,000 | 908 | 39 |
| District of Columbia | 90.5% | 283 | 256 | 40 |
| New Jersey | 90.5% | 4,473 | 4,046 | 40 |
| Nevada | 90.2% | 1,991 | 1,796 | 42 |
| Ohio | 89.6% | 8,713 | 7,803 | 43 |
| Minnesota | 89.4% | 3,488 | 3,119 | 44 |
| Hawaii | 88.9% | 479 | 426 | 45 |
| Kentucky | 88.7% | 3,553 | 3,152 | 46 |
| Oklahoma | 88.4% | 2,350 | 2,077 | 47 |
| New York | 87.6% | 10,927 | 9,570 | 48 |
| Illinois | 87.4% | 6,910 | 6,036 | 49 |
| Utah | 86.5% | 3,810 | 3,294 | 50 |
| Florida | 84.9% | 16,303 | 13,839 | 51 |
| Guam (territory) | 96.9% | 32 | 31 | — |
| American Samoa (territory) | 66.7% | 3 | 2 | — |
| Virgin Islands (territory) | 66.7% | 30 | 20 | — |
| Northern Mariana Islands (territory) | 52.4% | 21 | 11 | — |
Source: National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 2024 NCLEX® Examination Statistics (Research Brief Vol. 94, July 2025), Table 8: first-time, U.S.-educated candidates taking the NCLEX-RN for U.S. licensure, Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2024. Totals include all degree types and NCSBN special program codes. Ranks cover the 50 states and DC by pass rate; tied rates share a rank. The four U.S. territories are listed unranked because their small candidate counts make rates swing sharply from year to year. Portions copyrighted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. All rights reserved.
How Much Do State Pass Rates Vary?
Less than many rankings suggest. In 2024 the 50 states spanned about 12 percentage points, from Florida (84.9%) to New Hampshire (96.5%), and 37 states were at or above the 91.2% national rate. The four largest states by first-time candidates landed in different places: California 92.7% (15,499 candidates), Texas 92.7% (15,327 candidates), Florida 84.9% (16,303 candidates), New York 87.6% (10,927 candidates). Jurisdictions with very few candidates, such as American Samoa (3) and the Northern Mariana Islands (21), can post extreme rates that move a lot from one year to the next. NCSBN's report gives the counts but not the reasons for differences between states. For a fair comparison, look up your own program's pass rate; many state boards of nursing publish program-level results.
Pass Rates by Degree Type
NCSBN also breaks the 2024 first-time, U.S.-educated results down by degree type: baccalaureate 91.9% (91,195 of 99,204), associate degree 90.6% (76,655 of 84,580) and diploma 90.8% (2,202 of 2,424). Candidates under NCSBN special program codes passed at 37.0% (204 of 552). The gap between BSN and ADN graduates nationally was about one percentage point.
The Next Generation NCLEX and Recent Pass Rates
The Next Generation NCLEX (NGN), with clinical judgment case studies and new item types, launched in April 2023. NCSBN's data does not show a drop afterward. In the 2023 statistics, the first-time, U.S.-educated rate was 80.5% in January–March 2023 and 94.3% in April–June, and the full-year 2023 rate was 88.6% (165,058 of 186,374). It rose to 91.2% in 2024. Rates also swing by quarter within a year: in 2024 they went from 94.2% in January–March to 82.2% in October–December. So one quarter is not a clean before-and-after comparison. Sources: NCSBN 2023 and 2024 NCLEX Examination Statistics.
What to Do If Your State Has a Lower Pass Rate
A state average says little about any one candidate, and even the lowest state passed most first-time candidates. Practical steps: (1) check your own program's pass rate on your state board of nursing's website; (2) take at least one full-length predictor exam (such as HESI or ATI) before your NCLEX date; (3) practice NGN-style case studies and clinical judgment items, not just recall questions; (4) use Progress Note for daily high-yield review of pharmacology, prioritization and lab values.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current NCLEX-RN pass rate?
According to NCSBN, 91.2% of first-time, U.S.-educated NCLEX-RN candidates passed in 2024 (170,256 of 186,760), up from 88.6% in 2023 (165,058 of 186,374). Other groups passed at lower rates in 2024: 50.9% of repeat U.S.-educated candidates and 53.8% of first-time internationally educated candidates.
Which states have the highest NCLEX pass rates?
In NCSBN's 2024 data, the states with the highest first-time, U.S.-educated NCLEX-RN pass rates were New Hampshire (96.5%), North Dakota (96.4%), Nebraska (95.1%), Tennessee (94.9%) and Wyoming (94.8%). The lowest were Florida (84.9%), Utah (86.5%), Illinois (87.4%) and New York (87.6%).
Does this list include every state?
Yes. The table includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the jurisdictions in NCSBN's 2024 Table 8. Puerto Rico is not in that table, so it is not listed here.
How many times can you take the NCLEX?
Under NCSBN's retake policy, candidates can take the NCLEX up to eight times a year, with at least 45 test-free days between attempts. Some boards of nursing set stricter limits, so check your board's policy. Candidates who fail receive a Candidate Performance Report, which shows how they did in each content area and can guide a study plan.
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