NCLEX pass rates & licensing success
Every nurse's career starts with the same milestone: passing a licensing or certification exam. At CU Anschutz College of Nursing, our students don't just meet that bar — they clear it well above the national average, year after year.
CU Anschutz Nursing's NCLEX & certification pass rates
BSN program: NCLEX pass rates
All Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) before they can practice as registered nurses. The NCLEX is a comprehensive exam that measures the knowledge and clinical judgment expected of an entry-level nurse.
CU Anschutz Nursing’s first-time BSN pass rate on the NCLEX is 96.02% (2025 data). That's nearly 10 points above the 87.6% national first-time pass rate in 2025 — placing CU Anschutz among the top-performing BSN programs in Colorado and the country.
Passing the NCLEX is the final step to becoming a licensed registered nurse (RN). Choosing a program with a consistently strong pass rate is one of the clearest signs you're prepared to succeed on your first attempt, ensuring you are able to practice once you graduate from nursing school.
96.02%
First-time NCLEX pass rate*
Graduate & APRN certification exams
Advancing beyond an RN license requires a specialty certification exam. Nurses who earn an MS in Nursing (MSN) and go on to become nurse practitioners or advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) must pass a national, board-recognized certification exam in their specialty — and many recertify periodically throughout their careers. Like the NCLEX, these exams are typically taken online at a proctored testing location.
Major national certifying organizations
Depending on their specialty, CU Anschutz graduates certify through one of these national boards:
- American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology (Acute and Primary Care), and Psychiatric-Mental Health certifications
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB): Family Nurse Practitioner and Adult-Gerontology Primary Care certifications
- American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN): Graduate-level and specialty certifications in acute and critical care, including Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist roles
- National Certification Corporation (NCC): Certification for neonatal and women's health nurse practitioners and related sub-specialties
- National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA): The mandatory national credentialing exam for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs)
CU Anschutz Nursing top pass rates
CU Anschutz Nursing is proud to report a 100% certification exam pass rate across four graduate specialties:
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
- Nurse-Midwifery
- Psychiatric Mental Health NP
Nurse-Midwifery certification
Our Nurse-Midwifery program prepares students to pass the Certified Nurse-Midwife Examination and begin practicing as Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs). This certification is essential to ensuring quality of care and is a required step in becoming a CNM — and our program continues to give students the tools to pass it on their first try.
Our CNM certification rate within one year of graduation was 100% in 2025 (12 students), 90% in 2024 (10 students), and 100% in 2022 (9 students).
96.07%
CU Anschutz 3-year average CNM board pass rate, vs. an approximate 70% national average
Your path to licensure & certification
How we set students up to succeed
Strong pass rates don't happen by chance — they're the result of deliberate, hands-on support built into every program. From your first semester through your final exam, CU Anschutz Nursing students are backed by:
Why do licensing and certification exams matter?
Passing a licensing or certification exam isn't just a formality — it's what makes a nursing career possible. These exams:
- Give you the legal authority to practice in your state, and potentially others
- Help protect public health and safety by confirming you can deliver safe, competent care
- Grant and protect your professional credentials
- Reduce risk and prevent mistakes in clinical practice
Because nursing involves complex, high-stakes decisions, state boards use licensure to set a legal scope of practice, restrict titles like RN or LPN to qualified professionals, and hold nurses accountable to consistent standards. Practicing without an active license is illegal in every state and can carry heavy fines, loss of employment, or criminal charges.
Steps to becoming a licensed & certified nurse
Your pathway to licensure and certification
A nursing career generally follows the same four stages, whether you're headed toward RN practice or an advanced specialty:
- Complete an accredited nursing program: a certificate (LPN), a bachelor's degree (RN/BSN), or a master's degree (MSN/APRN). Graduates of a non-accredited nursing program will not be permitted to sit for the NCLEX exam, which is designed to demonstrate that they are qualified registered nurses; as a result, they will have difficulty finding gainful employment
- Earn licensure: pass the required board examination for your role, such as the NCLEX
- Gain experience: begin practicing, working directly with patients, and building clinical skills
- Pursue certification: specialize further and work with focused patient populations as an APRN or nurse specialist
Ready to start your nursing career?
CU Anschutz College of Nursing's pass rates reflect a simple commitment: preparing students to practice confidently and safely from day one. Explore our BSN and graduate programs to see where your nursing career can start. Related reading:
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