2024 Rankings: The 30 Best Nursing Schools in the Boston Metro Area

Northeastern’s School of Nursing, part of the Bouvé College of Health Sciences, provides students broad interaction across Bouvé’s entire faculty. The school maintains a strong focus on research and an interdisciplinary approach to healthcare. Indeed, Northeastern was designated an NLN Center of Excellence in 2013 for enhancing student learning and professional development. Prelicensure students perform very well on the NCLEX exam. The school’s BSN program posted a 91% pass rate over the past decade, while its direct entry MSN program scored a phenomenal 96% pass rate over that time period. Northeastern also offers an online RN-to-BSN program, an MSN curriculum with six nurse practitioner specialties, two doctoral nursing degrees (PhD and DNP), and a nurse anesthesia program.

Simmons’s low student-to-faculty ratio allows it to concentrate on strong, clinically based baccalaureate, master’s, post-master’s, and doctoral programs in nursing. Simmons students can also take advantage of Boston’s Longwood Medical Area, which features 21 renowned medical and academic institutions in their immediate backyard. The school graduates approximately 200 students annually from its prelicensure BSN program, with a strong 93% NCLEX pass rate over the past decade. Simmons’s direct entry MSN program graduates an additional 30-50 students annually. It has boasted a phenomenal 98% NCLEX pass rate over the past decade, with six out of ten cohorts scoring a perfect 100% pass rate.

The Richard and Sheila Young School of Nursing at Regis College has received three consecutive NLN Center of Excellence designations since 2008. With small class sizes and four high-tech simulation labs, the school provides its students experience-oriented nursing education. Enrollees in the direct entry MSN program have passed the NCLEX licensure exam at a stellar 96% rate over the past decade. The school also offers a traditional four-year BSN, an RN-to-BSN program with two pathways (non-nursing bachelor’s, no bachelor’s), a postlicensure MSN program with ten specialty tracks (five in leadership, five for nurse practitioners), and a DNP program that is delivered both on campus and online.

UMass Lowell’s graduate nursing program is consistently ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school boasts 100+ healthcare partners, 200+ students at clinical sites, and 100+ faculty publications. Graduates of the prelicensure BSN program have averaged an 87% first-time NCLEX pass rate over the past decade. Recently recognized by the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence, UMass Lowell also offers fast-track BSN-to-MSN and MSN-to-DNP programs, as well as a master’s certification in adult-gerontology nursing.

Graduates from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences are the #1 salary earners in New England, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Spread across three campus locations – Boston, Worcester, and Manchester – MCPHS is one of the few private universities in the country specializing solely in the education of healthcare professionals. Nursing students receive a broad-based education that prepares them well for licensure exams and future practice. For example, BSN students at the school’s Worcester and Manchester campuses have both averaged a 92% NCLEX pass rate over the past decade. Graduate nursing students can choose from two MSN nurse practitioner tracks and a DNP program, all offered 100% online.

Curry College was the first nursing program in the state of Massachusetts to earn accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The School of Nursing offers three BSN pathways (traditional, accelerated second degree, RN-to-BSN) and two MSN specializations (nursing administration, nursing education). Curry College’s location in the Boston metropolitan area enables students to experience dynamic, hands-on learning at some of the best medical facilities in the world. Clinical rotations begin during sophomore year at a wide range of urban and suburban institutions, with rotations that include pediatrics, maternity care, and mental health. Curry College graduates approximately 100 prelicensure BSN students each year. These individuals have averaged an 87% NCLEX pass rate over the past decade, including a stellar 97% pass rate in 2018.

The School of Nursing at Salem State University offers four BSN pathways (traditional, accelerated, LPN entry, RN entry) and a breadth of MSN options. The BSN curriculum blends academic and experiential learning with clinical practicums in adult health, maternal-child health, and community settings. The accelerated BSN is a 15-month pathway for students who hold a baccalaureate degree in a non-nursing field. The LPN-to-BSN program is similarly streamlined, requiring just four semesters and a summer session to complete. Across these prelicensure programs, graduates have achieved an 83% first-time NCLEX pass rate over the past decade. Salem State’s MSN program has three tracks: adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner, nursing education, and nursing leadership in health systems. Designed for working professionals, the MSN is delivered in an evening and hybrid format.

An integral part of Signature Healthcare, Brockton Hospital School of Nursing is the only hospital-based nursing program in the state of Massachusetts. Originally established in 1897, BHSN has graduated over 2,800 nurses throughout its storied history. The school strives for diversity and offers several nursing diploma pathways, including a two-year day program and a four-year part-time program on weekends and evenings. Approximately 88% of BHSN graduates have passed the NCLEX-RN licensure exam on their first try over the past decade. Additionally, the school’s affiliation with Fisher College allows these graduates to transition seamlessly into Fisher’s RN-to-BSN program.

Greater Lowell Technical High School offers a practical nursing program that is fully approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing and fully accredited by the Council on Occupational Education. The 40-week fulltime program requires 1,097 hours of classroom instruction and 540 hours of clinical experience. The clinical experience allows students to apply classroom theory within various community healthcare facilities. Graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX-PN licensure examination. Greater Lowell Technical High School graduates approximately 70 LPN students annually, and these students have achieved an excellent 93% first-time NCLEX pass rate over the past decade. The graduating class of 2018 also enjoyed a 97% job placement rate.

The ADN program at Great Bay Community College prepares students to provide direct care to clients in acute care, long-term care, and other structured settings. The two-year program includes instruction in communication, teamwork, professionalism, leadership, informatics, evidence-based practice, systems-based practice, patient-centered care, quality improvement, and safety. Clinical experiences are offered at a wide variety of times and locations, and students may complete the program on a full-time or part-time basis. Great Bay’s ADN graduates have enjoyed an excellent 93% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN licensure exam over the past decade.

Assabet Valley Regional Technical School offers a ten-month fulltime certificate program in licensed practical nursing. The school accepts a new cohort of approximately forty LPN students annually, with daytime classes conducted five days per week from late August through June. Students are trained to provide direct patient care, including the administration of medications and treatments. They are also prepared to manage and delegate the nursing care provided by unlicensed personnel, particularly in long-term care settings. At the conclusion of their studies, graduates may pursue LPN licensure by sitting for the NCLEX-PN examination. AVRTS students have averaged an impressive 93% first-time NCLEX pass rate over the past decade. The school also promotes pathways for graduates to continue their education at the associate degree, bachelor’s degree, and even graduate level.

North Shore Community College has provided accessible and affordable education to the communities of Northeast Massachusetts for over fifty years. The school conducts a traditional two-year AS degree in registered nursing, a one-year advanced placement LPN-to-RN option, and a ten-month certificate in practical nursing. All three pathways produce excellent student outcomes. For example, NSCC boasted a 95% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate and an 88% first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate over the past three years. Job placement rates were also excellent during that timeframe, averaging 88% for RN graduates and 84% for LPN graduates. Nursing students can take advantage of the college’s relationships with more than 25 clinical affiliates in the surrounding metropolitan area, including the Danvers Council on Aging, Mass General Brigham Salem Hospital, and Lahey Beverly Hospital. The college also holds baccalaureate nursing transfer agreements with eight institutions including Endicott College, Framingham State University, and Rivier University, providing RN graduates a seamless transition to a BSN degree program.

Bunker Hill Community College is a fully accredited two-year institution that serves nearly 20,000 students annually through more than 100 associate degree, certificate, and transfer programs. The Division of Health Sciences conducts an ADN program that consists of nursing theory, laboratory work, simulation exercises, and clinical practice at local hospitals and healthcare facilities. Graduates of the program are prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination. Over the past decade, ADN students have averaged an 86% first-time NCLEX pass rate. Bunker Hill Community College also has transfer agreements with major universities such as University of Massachusetts Boston and Framingham State University, allowing ADN graduates to seamlessly pursue baccalaureate education.

The Shawsheen Valley School of Practical Nursing has more than twenty years of experience educating practical nurses. The school’s curriculum provides the theoretical frameworks, laboratory skills, and clinical experiences for graduates to successfully assume the full scope of LPN responsibilities in Massachusetts. Students attend the program in a convenient and flexible evening and weekend format, following the high school’s forty-week calendar. Approximately 30-40 LPN candidates complete the program annually. These students have an impressive track record on the NCLEX-PN licensure examination, including an 88% first-time pass rate over the past decade.

Massasoit Community College serves 5,500 students across campuses in Brockton, Canton, and Middleborough. The Massasoit nursing program is approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registered Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Two associate degree pathways are available: a generic option and an LPN-to-ADN transition program. Both pathways have full-time and part-time options. Coursework covers critical healthcare topics like anatomy, physiology, and human development. Students complete on-campus simulation laboratory experiences and clinical rotations at area hospitals, nursing homes, community health centers, and clinics. Graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination. Over the past decade, Massasoit Community College’s ADN graduates have achieved an 86% first-time NCLEX pass rate.