Do you know your schools NCLEX pass rate?

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Specializes in Case management, occupational health.

Several nursing schools in my area (KY)are in danger of losing their accrediation because they have not complied with the rule that 85% of their students must pass the NCLEX on their first try. This got me thinking, I wonder if most nursing students know their school history, specifically their NCLEX pass rates and if and when they are due for accrediation review. I know of one school that lost their accrediation because of low NCLEX scores, so students that were in the program were left in limbo.

I chose my school because of the 99% NCLEX pass rates and the fact that they have the highest possible accrediation (8yrs). The National Accrediation committee came to our school last year and held and Q& A session with the nursing students and we found out that the local community college had not had accrediation for years but was advertising as if they did. We kind of already assumed this considering the nursing students we came in contact with in the clinical area from that school were so lost,and seemed like they did not know even 1/10 of what was on our tests.

If you do not know your schools standing, I urge you to find out

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Good points to bring up! There was a meeting held by nursing faculty a few weeks ago at my school regarding ATI exams, and they discussed some of the things you have written about. Our pass rate since 2001 has been in the high 90's consistently. Last semester we were approved again for the 8 year accreditation. I feel pretty confident that I'm in a good place and for a good price (about $5500/year tuition, in-state college BSN) You're right; everyone should be aware of their schools standing!

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Specializes in ICU.

At first glance I was worried by the pass rates my school had listed on their website. The lowest was in '04 when it dropped to 75%! But since then, it has remained above 85%, and above 90% till 9/07 when the graph stops. This still had me a little worried till I happen to chance upon a powerpoint presentation apparently from the Health Science department discussing budget needs for the program. In it they explained that the nursing program has had some of the highest NCLEX passing rates in the state recently, so I'm glad I stumbled upon that.

What I would really like to know is the student retention rate! I've been meaning to email my advisor to find out. From what I've read on here, some schools artifically (IMO of course) inflate their pass rates by failing out large numbers of their students in the last few quarters if they are not doing well enough on assesment exams. So students who were at risk of not passing the test the first time are removed from the program and don't "screw up" the school's percentages. Of course, after they've collected 4-7 semesters worth of tuition that is.

Personally, I would rather go to a school that has an average NCLEX pass rate, but excellent retention rate over a school with near 100% pass rate, but a low retention rate. I would be really upset to invest that much time and money into something only to be cut loose at the very end, even though I may still have been able to pass the exam, if not the first time, the second or third.

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Specializes in NICU.

I couldn't find my school's pass rates anywhere, and Michigan doesn't post pass rates for MI schools. I ended up finding an article in the school paper regarding the nursing program here saying that we have a 98% pass rate.

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Specializes in MedSurg/Tele.

Our schools RN pass rate was 89%

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Specializes in NICU.

It's interesting, because it's not terribly difficult to get into my school and I've heard it's not "that bad". But, we do have HESI's every semester, a HESI exit exam, and a mandatory, included-in-tuition NCLEX refresher course after the last semester.

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Specializes in LTC.

100 % passing rate baby !

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Just under 98%.

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Specializes in Case management, occupational health.

The article in our local paper listed the schools I was talking about in my original post as having 60-65% pass rates. That is so scary to me, that so many students are in programs that do not prepare them at all for the boards. A coworker of mine had intended to start at Northern Kentucky University this fall, until that article was printed in the paper she had no idea that their scores were so low or that they were already on probation from the nursing board and that they will in all likelyhood lose their accrediation. What I found even more upsetting was the instructors and faculty of NKU were quoted in the article as saying that 85% pass rate is to stringent, and that the board was being unreasonable. Not only are they not teaching their students what they need to know but they are blaming the board? I tell everyone that I come in contact with that seems to have even the slightest intrest in nursing about the schools in our area, I don't want anyone wasting their money and time at these schools.

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My school's pass rate for last year was 100% average is 98%. They pride themselves on this and enjoy telling us how much higher they are then other programs in the city. So if you get thru the program you are most likely going to make it, however out of the 100 or so they start with only about 40 get to that point.....

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2008 70/70 100%

2007 66/68 97%

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Specializes in ICU.
My school's pass rate for last year was 100% average is 98%. They pride themselves on this and enjoy telling us how much higher they are then other programs in the city. So if you get thru the program you are most likely going to make it, however out of the 100 or so they start with only about 40 get to that point.....

Point in case on what I was describing before. I've seen a lot of people on here boast about their schools NCLEX pass rates, buy how many of them determined how that rate was achieved? I would really be impressed with a school that has a 90%+ first time pass rate AND a fairly high retention/graduation rate as well. I feel confident enough that if 80% of the graduates pass on the first try, that I will be one of them. What I would worry more about is being chucked out of the program right at the end b/c the school is worried I might "mess up" their prestigous 100% pass rate :down:

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