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In 2022, Virginia’s NCLEX-RN Pass Rate was 81.7% and the NCLEX-PN Pass Rate was 77.58%.
In this article, we break down Virginia NCLEX Pass Rates to understand how the state performed against the national average, and how individual nursing programs did.
Now, let’s delve into the numbers, shall we?
Virginia NCLEX Pass Rates: Statewide Statistics
2022 NCLEX-RN
| No. of Candidates (2022) | Pass Rate (2022) | Pass Rate (2021) | Pass Rate (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 4,938 | 81.7% | 83.1% | 87% |
| National | 188,005 | 79.9% | 82.5% | 86.6% |
Key Takeaways:
- In 2022, Virginia recorded an 81.7% NCLEX-RN Pass Rate statewide vs. a 79.9% National Average.
- In 2021, Virginia recorded an 83.1% NCLEX-RN Pass Rate statewide vs. an 82.5% National Average.
- In 2020, Virginia recorded an 87% NCLEX-RN Pass Rate statewide vs. an 86.6% National Average.
- Virginia NCLEX-RN Pass Rate steadily declined from 2020 through 2022.
- Virginia NCLEX-RN Pass Rate was slightly above the National Average from 2020 through 2022.
2022 NCLEX-PN
| No. of Candidates (2022) | Pass Rate (2022) | Pass Rate (2021) | Pass Rate (2020) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 1,334 | 77.58% | 74.8% | 79.8% |
| National | 47,635 | 79.93% | 79.6% | 83.1% |
Key Takeaways:
- In 2022, Virginia recorded a 77.58% NCLEX-PN Pass Rate statewide vs. a 79.93% National Average.
- In 2021, Virginia recorded a 74.8% NCLEX-PN Pass Rate statewide vs. a 79.6% National Average.
- In 2020, Virginia recorded a 79.8% NCLEX-PN Pass Rate statewide vs. an 83.1% National Average.
- Virginia NCLEX-PN Pass Rate fell about 5% from 2020 to 2021; then rose almost 3% from 2021 to 2022.
- Virginia NCLEX-PN Pass Rate was below the National Average from 2020 through 2022.
Virginia NCLEX Pass Rates: Best Virginia Direct Entry MSN Programs
Here are the best direct entry MSN programs in Virginia, ranked by Average NCLEX-RN Pass Rate in the last 4 years.
| Rank | Direct Entry MSN Programs | No. of Candidates (2022) | Pass Rate (2022) | Average Pass Rate (2019-2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sentara College of Health Sciences | 22 | 96.15% | 98.72%¹ |
| 2 | University of Virginia | 48 | 91.67% | 94.49% |
Key Takeaways:
- As of 2022, there are only two approved direct entry MSN/entry-level masters programs in Virginia.
- University of Virginia has the highest average NCLEX Pass Rate in Virginia among direct entry MSN Programs from 2019 through 2022, at 94.49%.
- Sentara College of Health Sciences has the highest 2022 NCLEX Pass Rate in Virginia among direct MSN Programs, at 96.15%.
Virginia NCLEX Pass Rates: Best Virginia BSN Programs
Here are the best BSN programs in Virginia, ranked by Average NCLEX-RN Pass Rate in the last 4 years.
| Rank | BSN Programs | No. of Candidates (2022) | Pass Rate (2022) | Average Pass Rate (2019-2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hampton University-VA Beach | – | – | 97.62%² |
| 2 | Longwood University | 50 | 98.00% | 97.42% |
| 3 | Shenandoah University Eleanor Wade Custer S/N | 143 | 95.10% | 95.57% |
| 4 | Liberty University | 177 | 92.60% | 95.39% |
| 5 | James Madison University | 217 | 90.78% | 94.84% |
| 6 | Radford University | 61 | 83.61% | 94.39% |
| 7 | Hampton University | 21 | 90.48% | 94.15% |
| 8 | University of Virginia | 92 | 86.95% | 92.92% |
| 9 | Radford University Carilion (Roanoke) | 27 | 88.89% | 92.27% |
| 10 | George Mason University Accelerated 2nd Degree BSN | 75 | 84.00% | 91.88% |
| 11 | Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing | 130 | 85.38% | 91.79% |
| 12 | Marymount University ABSN | 48 | 83.33% | 91.00% |
| 13 | The University of Virginia’s College at Wise | 18 | 88.88% | 90.53% |
| 14 | Sentara College of Health Sciences | 78 | 87.18% | 89.97% |
| 15 | Old Dominion University | 67 | 85.07% | 89.30% |
| 16 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 184 | 84.24% | 88.95% |
| 17 | Norfolk State University Traditional BSN | 28 | 85.71% | 88.55% |
| 18 | Radford University Carilion Traditional BSN | 53 | 86.79% | 88.40%¹ |
| 19 | Marymount University Traditional BSN | 56 | 75.00% | 87.44% |
| 20 | South University | 33 | 72.73% | 87.20% |
| 21 | The George Washington University | 265 | 81.89% | 86.84% |
| 22 | University of Lynchburg | 43 | 74.42% | 86.28% |
| 23 | Radford University Carilion ABSN | 65 | 87.69% | 85.50%¹ |
| 24 | Eastern Mennonite University | 49 | 85.71% | 85.06% |
| 25 | Averett University | 8 | 75.00% | 83.51% |
| 26 | South University, VA Beach | 35 | 82.86% | 82.90% |
| 27 | Chamberlain College of Nursing | 148 | 66.89% | 81.46% |
| 28 | George Mason University Traditional BSN | 112 | 64.29% | 80.96% |
| 29 | Stratford University Woodbridge | 39 | 66.67% | 68.88% |
| 30 | Stratford University- Alexandria | 50 | 54.00% | 68.88%³ |
| 31 | Stratford University Falls Church | 40 | 37.50% | 53.67% |
²2019-2021 Average Pass Rate
³2021-2022 Average Pass Rate
Key Takeaways:
- Longwood University has the highest average NCLEX Pass Rate in Virginia among BSN Programs from 2019 through 2022, at 97.42%.
- Longwood University has the highest 2022 NCLEX Pass Rate in Virginia among BSN Programs, at 98%.
- Stratford University Falls Church has the lowest average NCLEX Pass Rate in Virginia among BSN Programs from 2019 through 2022, at 53.67%.
- Stratford University Falls Church has the lowest 2022 NCLEX Pass Rate in Virginia among BSN Programs, at 37.50%.
NB: Stratford University closed down in the Fall of 2022.
Virginia NCLEX Pass Rates: Best Virginia Nursing Associate Degree Programs
Here are the best Nursing Associate Degree Programs in Virginia, ranked by Average NCLEX-RN Pass Rate in the last 4 years.
| Rank | Associate Degree Programs | No. of Candidates (2022) | Pass Rates (2022) | Average Pass Rates (2019-2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southside VA Community College | 15 | 100.00% | 98.53% |
| 2 | Bryant & Stratton College – Richmond | 71 | 94.37% | 91.78% |
| 3 | Tidewater Community College | 74 | 85.14% | 90.61% |
| 4 | Germanna Community College | 148 | 84.46% | 89.54% |
| 5 | Saint Michael College of Allied Health | 5 | 100.00% | 89.21% |
| 6 | Bryant & Stratton College – Hampton | 17 | 94.12% | 87.98% |
| 7 | Brightpoint Community College (John Tyler Community Col) | 100 | 81.00% | 87.63% |
| 8 | Southside College of Health Sciences | 40 | 80.00% | 87.55% |
| 9 | Piedmont Virginia Community Col | 44 | 81.82% | 87.28% |
| 10 | ECPI University, ADN – Newport News | 138 | 80.43% | 86.73% |
| 11 | ECPI University, ADN – Northern VA | 89 | 77.50% | 86.45% |
| 12 | Riverside College of Health Careers | 69 | 82.61% | 85.99% |
| 13 | Danville Community College | 39 | 76.92% | 85.62% |
| 14 | Virginia Western Community College | 63 | 96.83% | 85.55% |
| 15 | Northern Virginia Community College | 147 | 85.71% | 85.13% |
| 16 | Eastern Virginia Career College | 85.13%¹ | ||
| 17 | ECPI University, ADN – Richmond | 69 | 86.96% | 84.42% |
| 18 | Wytheville Community College | 43 | 93.02% | 84.33% |
| 19 | Southside VA CC-South Boston | 21 | 76.19% | 84.23% |
| 20 | VA Peninsula Com Coll (Thomas Nelson Community Col ) | 45 | 80.00% | 84.20% |
| 21 | Blue Ridge Community Col | 44 | 86.36% | 84.13% |
| 22 | Paul D Camp Comm College | 32 | 81.25% | 83.48% |
| 23 | Rappahannock Comm College | 56 | 91.07% | 83.10% |
| 24 | Southside VA CC-John H. Daniel | 17 | 76.47% | 82.72% |
| 25 | Standard Health Care, Inc. LPN to ADN | 60 | 83.33% | 82.71% |
| 26 | Formerly Career Training Solutions -ADN | 33 | 81.82% | 82.32% |
| 27 | ECPI University – Roanoke | 52 | 88.46% | 82.02% |
| 28 | Thomas Nelson Comm College | 24 | 75.00% | 81.40% |
| 29 | Mountain Gateway Community College | 55 | 78.18% | 81.39% |
| 30 | Virginia Highlands CC | 67 | 91.04% | 80.78%² |
| 31 | ECPI University, ADN – Virginia Beach | 185 | 81.08% | 80.28% |
| 32 | Laurel Ridge Community College (Lord Fairfax Comm Col) | 86 | 75.58% | 80.10% |
| 33 | Southwest VA CC | 50 | 82.00% | 78.74%² |
| 34 | Centra College of Nursing, ADN | 97 | 70.10% | 76.31% |
| 35 | J. Sargeant Reynolds Community Col | 111 | 76.57% | 76.07% |
| 36 | New River Community College | 48 | 83.33% | 76.07% |
| 37 | Mountain Empire Community College | 55 | 78.18% | 75.53%² |
| 38 | Bryant & Stratton College – VA Beach | 31 | 87.10% | 74.78% |
| 39 | Patrick & Henry Community Col | 30 | 70.00% | 70.68% |
| 40 | Fortis College Norfolk | 49 | 55.10% | 64.05% |
| 41 | Fortis College Richmond | 20 | 70.00% | 61.48% |
²2021-2022 Average Pass Rate
Key Takeaways:
- Southside Virginia Community College has the highest average NCLEX Pass Rate in Virginia among Nursing Associate Degree Programs from 2019 through 2022, at 98.53%.
- Southside Virginia Community College has the highest 2022 NCLEX Pass Rate, with more passed candidates, in Virginia among Nursing Associate Degree Programs, at 100%.
- Fortis College Richmond has the lowest average NCLEX Pass Rate in Virginia among Nursing Associate Degree Programs from 2019 through 2022, at 61.48%.
- Fortis College Norfolk has the lowest 2022 NCLEX Pass Rate in Virginia among Nursing Associate Degree Programs, at 55.1%.
Virginia NCLEX Pass Rates: Best Virginia LPN Programs
Here are the best LPN programs in Virginia, ranked by Average NCLEX-PN Pass Rate in the last 4 years.
| Rank | LPN Programs | No. of Candidates (2022) | Pass Rate (2022) | Average Pass Rate (2019-2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Beach School of Practical Nursing | 10 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
| 2 | Danville Community College | 5 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
| 3 | Valley Career and Tech Center | 7 | 100.00% | 98.53% |
| 4 | Bryant & Stratton College PN | 55 | 100.00% | 98.44% |
| 5 | Centra School of P/N Norfolk | 5 | 100.00% | 97.73% |
| 6 | Buchanan County Public Schools | 7 | 100.00% | 97.22% |
| 7 | Ridgeview Practical Nursing Program | 7 | 100.00% | 97.22% |
| 8 | Medical Learning Center | 10 | 90.00% | 94.72% |
| 9 | Patrick Henry CC -Franklin | 5 | 100.00% | 93.75%¹ |
| 10 | Southside Virginia Community College South Boston | 14 | 92.86% | 93.70%² |
| 11 | ECPI University, Manassas | 79 | 91.14% | 93.14% |
| 12 | ECPI University, Va Beach | 58 | 91.38% | 92.76% |
| 13 | Rappahannock C. C. Glenns | 36 | 88.89% | 90.82% |
| 14 | Smyth Co Public Schools | 9 | 88.89% | 89.11% |
| 15 | VA Western Community College | 22 | 90.91% | 88.89% |
| 16 | Massanutten Tech Center | 25 | 88.00% | 88.82% |
| 17 | Chesapeake Center for Science and Technology | 6 | 66.67% | 88.54% |
| 18 | Bedford County Schools/Memorial Hospital | 17 | 70.59% | 88.48% |
| 19 | Piedmont VA Community College | 14 | 100.00% | 87.61% |
| 20 | Eastern Shore Community College | 14 | 85.71% | 86.66% |
| 21 | ECPI University, Newport News | 56 | 82.14% | 86.16% |
| 22 | ECPI University, Emerywood | 53 | 90.57% | 85.88% |
| 23 | Centra School of P/N Lynchburg | 22 | 95.45% | 85.42% |
| 24 | Global Health College | 27 | 85.19% | 84.74% |
| 25 | Prince William County Schools | 15 | 86.67% | 84.54% |
| 26 | Southwest VA Community College Richlands | 3 | 100.00% | 84.09% |
| 27 | New River Community College | 7 | 100.00% | 84.07% |
| 28 | Wytheville Community College | 14 | 92.86% | 82.81% |
| 29 | Ultimate Health School | 103 | 84.47% | 82.63% |
| 30 | Henrico County Public Schools/St. Mary’s Hospital | 34 | 82.35% | 81.88%³ |
| 31 | Page County Technical Center | 8 | 100.00% | 81.73% |
| 32 | ECPI University – Roanoke | 69 | 68.12% | 81.70% |
| 33 | Laurel Ridge CC (Lord Fairfax CC) | 13 | 84.62% | 81.61% |
| 34 | Mountain Empire CC | 19 | 73.68% | 80.84% |
| 35 | Fortis College, Richmond | 16 | 100.00% | 80.68% |
| 36 | Eastern Virginia Career College | 17 | 88.24% | 80.63% |
| 37 | Riverside School of P/N | 24 | 75.00% | 79.55%² |
| 38 | Standard Health Care | 183 | 80.87% | 78.92% |
| 39 | Lee County Career & Tech Center | 9 | 77.78% | 78.09% |
| 40 | Giles County Technology Center | 9 | 88.89% | 75.70% |
| 41 | Patrick & Henry CC | 7 | 100.00% | 75.67% |
| 42 | Fairfax Co Public Schools | 4 | 50.00% | 75.00%⁴ |
| 43 | Loudoun Co Public Schools | 8 | 87.50% | 74.79% |
| 44 | Virginia Highlands Community College PN | 22 | 77.27% | 74.11% |
| 45 | Germanna CC PNP | 14 | 50.00% | 73.07% |
| 46 | Fortis College, Norfolk | 42 | 64.29% | 70.31% |
| 47 | Mountain Empire CC (Dabney S Lancaster) | 6 | 100.00% | 69.82% |
| 48 | J Sargeant Reynolds CC PNP | 12 | 33.33% | 66.67%² |
| 49 | America School of Nursing & Allied Health | 75 | 60.00% | 66.62%² |
| 50 | Russell County Career Technology Center | 8 | 100.00% | 56.41%³ |
| 51 | Medical Solutions Academy | 3 | 33.33% | 54.17%¹ |
| 52 | Petersburg Public Schools | 7 | 57.14% | 51.79% |
| 53 | Chesterfield Co Public Schools | 11 | 27.27% | 39.78% |
| 54 | Chester Career College (formerly RSHT) | 2 | 0.00% | 30.46% |
| 55 | Star College | 1 | 0.00% | 12.88% |
| 56 | National School of Nursing and Allied Health | 5 | 0.00% | 8.23% |
²2019, 2021-2022 Average Pass Rate
³2020-2022 Average Pass Rate
⁴2019-2020, 2022 Average Pass Rate
Key Takeaways:
- Virginia Beach School of Practical Nursing has the highest average NCLEX Pass Rate, with more passed candidates, in Virginia among LPN Programs from 2019 through 2022, at 100%.
- Bryant & Stratton College has the highest 2022 NCLEX Pass Rate, with more passed candidates, in Virginia among LPN Programs, at 100%.
- National School of Nursing and Allied Health has the lowest average NCLEX Pass Rate in Virginia among LPN Programs from 2019 through 2022, at 8.23%.
- National School of Nursing and Allied Health has the lowest 2022 NCLEX Pass Rate, with more failed candidates, in Virginia among LPN Programs, at 0%.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many times can you fail the NCLEX in Virginia?
In Virginia, there’s no limit on how many times you can fail the NCLEX. You can retake it every 45 days, with no restrictions or mandatory refresher courses. You only need to file the required board application and reapplication fee.
What is the pass rate for the NCLEX in Virginia?
In 2022, Virginia’s NCLEX-RN Pass Rate was 81.7% and the NCLEX-PN Pass Rate was 77.58%.
What nursing school has the highest NCLEX pass rate in Virginia?
Based on the 2022 Virginia NCLEX Pass Rates for BSN programs, the nursing school with the highest NCLEX pass rate is Longwood University, which recorded 98%.
For Nursing Associate Degree Programs, the nursing school with the highest NCLEX pass rate, with more passed candidates, is Southside Virginia Community College, which recorded 100%.
Can You Exclusively Rely on NCLEX Pass Rates When Researching Nursing Programs in Virginia?
No. While NCLEX Pass Rates are a powerful determinant of program quality & rigor in Virginia, you should consider them alongside other factors such as the program’s accreditation status, clinical experience opportunities, cost of attendance, location, etc.
- Virginia Board of Nursing NCLEX Pass Rates
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) 2022 NCLEX Pass Rates Summary Data
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) 2021 report
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) 2020 report
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