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 Washington State Department of Health’s Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission 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 Washington’s ADN programs accordingly.
#1: Big Bend Community College
7662 Chanute Street NE
Moses Lake, WA 98837
https://www.bigbend.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 98.8%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 17
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#2: Whatcom Community College
237 West Kellogg Road
Bellingham, WA 98226
https://www.whatcom.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 96.7%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 30
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#3: Peninsula College
1502 East Lauridsen Boulevard
Port Angeles, WA 98362
https://www.pencol.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 95.6%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 23
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#4: Everett Community College
2000 Tower Street
Everett, WA 98201
https://www.everettcc.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 94.2%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 107
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#5: Bellevue College
3000 Landerholm Circle SE
Bellevue, WA 98007
https://www.bellevuecollege.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 93.2%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 64
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#6: Shoreline Community College
16101 Greenwood Avenue North
Shoreline, WA 98133
https://www.shoreline.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 92.8%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 91
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#7: Yakima Valley College
South 16th Avenue & Nob Hill Boulevard
Yakima, WA 98907
https://www.yvcc.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 92.1%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 52
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#8: Columbia Basin College
891 Northgate Drive
Richland, WA 99352
https://www.columbiabasin.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 91.5%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 48
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#9: Walla Walla Community College
500 Tausick Way
Walla Walla, WA 99362
https://www.wwcc.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 91.3%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 112
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#10: Skagit Valley College
2405 East College Way
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
https://www.skagit.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 91.1%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 65
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#11: Wenatchee Valley College
1300 Fifth Street
Wenatchee, WA 98801
https://www.wvc.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 90.9%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 64
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#12: Olympic College
1600 Chester Avenue
Bremerton, WA 98337
https://www.olympic.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 90.9%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 61
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#13: Lake Washington Institute of Technology
11605 132nd Avenue NE
Kirkland, WA 98034
https://www.lwtech.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 90.5%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 70
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#14: South Puget Sound Community College
2011 Mottman Road SW
Olympia, WA 98512
https://www.spscc.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 90.2%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 39
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#15: Pierce College
1601 39th Avenue SE
Puyallup, WA 98374
https://www.pierce.ctc.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 90.1%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 32
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#16: Lower Columbia College
1600 Maple Street
Longview, WA 98632
https://www.lowercolumbia.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 89.0%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 113
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#17: Centralia College
600 Centralia College Boulevard
Centralia, WA 98531
https://www.centralia.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 87.9%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 22
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#18: Seattle Colleges
1500 Harvard Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122
https://www.seattlecolleges.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 87.0%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 118
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020; includes all available data for Seattle Central College, North Seattle College, and South Seattle College
#19: Clark College
1933 Fort Vancouver Way
Vancouver, WA 98663
https://www.clark.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 87.0%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 115
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#20: Grays Harbor College
1620 Edward P Smith Drive
Aberdeen, WA 98520
https://www.ghc.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 86.4%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 29
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#21: Highline College
2400 South 240th Street
Des Moines, WA 98198
https://www.highline.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 86.1%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 68
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#22: Spokane Community College
1810 North Greene Street
Spokane, WA 99217
https://www.scc.spokane.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 85.9%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 107
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#23: Bellingham Technical College
3028 Lindbergh Avenue
Bellingham, WA 98225
https://www.btc.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 84.9%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 56
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#24: Tacoma Community College
6501 South 19th Street
Tacoma, WA 98466
https://www.tacomacc.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 82.8%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 99
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020
#25: Renton Technical College
3000 NE Fourth Street
Renton, WA 98056
https://www.rtc.edu
NCLEX-RN pass rate among first-time test-takers: 72.8%
Average number of ADN students graduating annually: 34
Data analyzed: Calendar years 2011 through 2020