For our 2024 rankings of ADN programs, the research team at Nursing Schools Almanac compiled an extensive database of student performance on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Aspiring registered nurses in the United States must pass this examination before they may commence practice. Thus, student performance on the NCLEX-RN exam provides an excellent benchmark for comparing the relative quality of associate’s degree programs.
We used our database to calculate each program’s NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers. This is the standard program assessment metric reported by the Virginia Board of Nursing and the test’s administrator, Pearson Vue. Whenever possible, we calculated this first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate over an extensive period of time, typically the past decade of student performance. We then used this metric to rank all of Virginia’s ADN programs accordingly.
#1: Southside College of Health Sciences
430 Clairmont Court, Suite 200
Colonial Heights, VA 23834
https://www.schs.edu
94.2% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 40 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#2: John Tyler Community College
13101 Jefferson Davis Highway
Chester, VA 23831
https://www.jtcc.edu
93.8% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 102 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#3: Danville Community College
1008 South Main Street
Danville, VA 24541
https://www.danville.edu
92.7% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 22 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#4: Germanna Community College
2130 Germanna Highway
Locust Grove, VA 22508
https://www.germanna.edu
92.2% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 101 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#5: Southside Virginia Community College - Alberta
109 Campus Drive
Alberta, VA 23821
http://www.southside.edu
91.7% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 18 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#6: New River Community College
5251 College Drive
Dublin, VA 24084
https://www.nr.edu
91.7% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 42 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#7: Rappahannock Community College
12745 College Drive
Glenns, VA 23149
https://www.rappahannock.edu
90.9% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 48 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#8: Riverside College of Health Careers
316 Main Street
Newport News, VA 23601
https://www.riversideonline.com/rshc
90.7% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 72 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#9: Southside Virginia Community College - South Boston
820 Bruce Street
South Boston, VA 24592
http://www.southside.edu
90.6% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 13 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#10: Southside Virginia Community College - Keysville
200 Daniel Road
Keysville, VA 23947
http://www.southside.edu
90.1% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 14 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2013 through 2020
#11: Tidewater Community College
120 Campus Drive
Portsmouth, VA 23701
https://www.tcc.edu
89.0% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 97 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#12: J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
700 East Jackson Street
Richmond, VA 23219
https://www.reynolds.edu
88.1% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 105 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#13: Virginia Western Community College
3094 Colonial Avenue SW
Roanoke, VA 24015
https://www.virginiawestern.edu
87.9% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 56 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#14: Northern Virginia Community College
6699 Springfield Center Drive
Springfield, VA 22150
https://www.nvcc.edu
87.6% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 158 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#15: Piedmont Virginia Community College
501 College Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22902
https://www.pvcc.edu
87.3% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 76 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#16: Lord Fairfax Community College
173 Skirmisher Lane
Middletown, VA 22645
https://www.lfcc.edu
87.2% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 73 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#17: Thomas Nelson Community College
99 Thomas Nelson Drive
Hampton, VA 23666
https://www.tncc.edu
87.0% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 69 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#18: Saint Michael College of Allied Health
8305 Richmond Highway, Suite 10A
Alexandria, VA 22309
https://www.smcah.edu
86.6% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 12 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#19: Centra College
905 Lakeside Drive, Suite A
Lynchburg, VA 24501
https://www.centrahealth.com/college
86.2% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 71 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#20: Virginia Appalachian Tricollege Nursing Program
100 VHCC Drive
Abingdon, VA 24210
85.8% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 161 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#21: Standard Healthcare Services College of Nursing
7704 Leesburg Pike, Suite 1000
Falls Church, VA 22043
https://www.standardcollege.edu
85.5% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 37 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2013 through 2020
#22: Dabney S. Lancaster Community College
1000 Dabney Drive
Clifton Forge, VA 24422
https://www.dslcc.edu
84.8% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 28 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#23: Blue Ridge Community College
One College Lane
Weyers Cave, VA 24486
https://www.brcc.edu
84.4% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 58 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#24: Eastern Virginia Career College
10304 Spotsylvania Avenue, Suite 400
Fredericksburg, VA 22408
https://www.evcc.edu
84.1% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 35 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#25: Wytheville Community College
1000 East Main Street
Wytheville, VA 24382
https://www.wcc.vccs.edu
84.1% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 48 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#26: ECPI University - Virginia Beach
5501 Greenwich Road, Suite 100
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
https://www.ecpi.edu
83.7% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 138 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#27: Paul D. Camp Community College
100 North College Drive
Franklin, VA 23851
https://www.pdc.edu
82.9% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 28 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#28: Patrick & Henry Community College
645 Patriot Avenue
Martinsville, VA 24112
https://www.patrickhenry.edu
82.9% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 41 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#29: ECPI University - Newport News
1001 Omni Boulevard, Suite 200
Newport News, VA 23606
https://www.ecpi.edu
82.0% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 97 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#30: Fortis College - Norfolk
6300 Center Drive, Suite 100
Norfolk, VA 23502
https://www.fortis.edu
81.7% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 22 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#31: ECPI University - Northern Virginia
10021 Balls Ford Road, Suite 100
Manassas, VA 20109
https://www.ecpi.edu
81.6% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 42 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2014 through 2020
#32: Bryant & Stratton College - Richmond
8141 Hull Street Road
North Chesterfield, VA 23235
https://www.bryantstratton.edu
81.3% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 54 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#33: ECPI University - Richmond
2809 Emerywood Parkway, Suite 400
Richmond, VA 23294
https://www.ecpi.edu
80.1% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 43 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#34: ECPI University - Roanoke
5234 Airport Road NW, Suite 200
Roanoke, VA 24012
https://www.ecpi.edu
80.0% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 33 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2017 through 2020
#35: Bryant & Stratton College - Hampton
4410 East Claiborne Square, Suite 233
Hampton, VA 23666
https://www.bryantstratton.edu
80.0% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 15 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2019 through 2020
#36: Fortis College - Richmond
2000 Westmoreland Street, Suite A
Richmond, VA 23230
https://www.fortis.edu
79.0% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 25 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2011 through 2020
#37: Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach
301 Centre Pointe Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
https://www.bryantstratton.edu
70.4% first-time NCLEX pass rate
Associate's Degree in Nursing
Average of 36 students graduated per year
Data analyzed from 2019 through 2020