From October 2022 to September 2023, more than 98 percent of Neumann University nursing graduates who took the NCLEX exam for the first time passed the test that is required to become a licensed RN. Neumann’s current pass rate of 98.44 percent topped even last year’s success rate of 98.25 percent.

Sixty-three of 64 Neumann nursing graduates passed the exam.

NCLEX stands for National Council Licensure Examination, and it refers to standardized tests that nursing students are required to pass in order to obtain state licenses and become registered nurses.

This comprehensive exam includes critical nursing concepts and is open only to students who have already completed an accredited nursing program. The test results are used by the state boards of nursing to determine whether a nursing candidate is ready to begin practicing as an entry-level nurse.

“I am grateful for the graduates who reached their professional goal, the faculty who spent countless hours working with our students, and the administrative support that the university has given to the School of Nursing and Health Sciences,” said Theresa Pietsch, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, when she learned the test results.

She noted that most of the Neumann nursing graduates who passed the NCLEX this year graduated in December of 2022 or May of 2023. Those students were enrolled when COVID-19 caused colleges across the country to reassess the way in which they delivered course content.

“Despite the obstacles caused by the pandemic, these students demonstrated extraordinary dedication and focus,” Pietsch pointed out. “Their remarkable pass rate is evidence of their hard work and commitment to join the nursing profession.”

Nursing is Neumann University’s most popular undergraduate major and attracts approximately 120 first-year students annually. One hundred percent of the nursing faculty have clinical experience in a hospital and/or other health care setting.