AURORA, Colo. (January 23, 2024) – The University of Colorado College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus reported a 94.88% pass rate for the 2023 National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for its Bachelor in Nursing test takers. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) reported an average national pass rate of 90.17% for students earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2023. CU Nursing’s scores make it one of the top-performing cohorts in Colorado and the nation.
“In addition to the nursing program curriculum, one of the best measures of a nursing program is if students can get licensed and pass the licensing exam after they have graduated,” CU Nursing Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Program Tammy Spencer, DNP, RN, CNE, ACNS-BC, CCNS, says.
The NCLEX is a national standardized test that graduates of nursing programs must pass to become a licensed registered nurse and gauges if they are ready to begin practicing as an entry-level nurse. The exam uses nursing knowledge learned in school, testing students on how they use critical thinking to make nursing judgments.
CU Nursing’s overall score is a combined score of its Traditional and Accelerated pathways. The Traditional 2-year pathway scored 93.98%, while the University of Colorado Accelerated Pathway (UCAN) pathway scored 95.79%, making these student cohorts among the top performing in the state.
“These scores are a great accomplishment for CU Nursing. These tests show the hard work of our faculty preparing students for their careers, as well as the drive and desire of our students to do well in school and become a nurse,” CU Nursing Associate Dean of Academic Programs Kelly Stamp, PhD, NP, RN, CHFN, FAHA, FAAN, says. “Prospective students should be looking at NCLEX pass rates when they are considering where to apply to earn their nursing degree.”
CU Nursing has instituted several initiatives to ensure its students are well prepared to take the NCLEX, including providing students with practice exams and questions.
“The college is giving our nursing students the tools to succeed in their careers, and that includes preparing them for the NCLEX exam,” Spencer says. “Our classes, clinical experiences, outstanding faculty, and test preparations equip new CU Nursing graduates with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to make sound clinical judgments for safe and effective patient care. In addition, our graduates are helping to fill the nursing pipeline which is vital to our current nursing shortage.”
About the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is a world-class medical destination at the forefront of transformative science, medicine, education, and patient care. The campus encompasses the University of Colorado health professional schools, more than 60 centers and institutes, and two nationally ranked independent hospitals UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children's Hospital Colorado that treat more than two million adult and pediatric patients each year. Innovative, interconnected, and highly collaborative, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus delivers life-changing treatments, patient care, and professional training and conducts world-renowned research fueled by over $650 million in research grants. For more information, visit www.cuanschutz.edu.
Download full PR: NCLEX Stats PR 012424
