Which Delaware nursing programs actually get graduates through the NCLEX-RN on the first try? For anyone starting to prepare for nursing school in Delaware, the answer is easier to find here than in most states, because the field is small. Prelicensure options come down to bachelor's programs at the University of Delaware and Delaware State University, the associate degree at Delaware Tech (offered at Dover, Georgetown, and Stanton), and the hospital diploma at Beebe's Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing in Lewes. Wilmington University adds an online RN-to-BSN for those who already hold a license.
A short list does not mean an easy one. With so few programs, the limiting factor is usually the number of clinical seats, not the number of choices.
Top NCLEX-RN Outcomes: 6 Delaware Nursing Schools Ranked
Delaware's 2023 state report counted 589 first-time NCLEX-RN candidates educated in the state, and 92.19% of them passed. The six entries below are ordered by how their programs have performed against that bar, with accreditation standing and completion and retention measures settling the close calls. The Delaware Board of Nursing lists 2025 as a reporting year, but school-level 2025 pass rates were not available for this list, so each card cites the most recent verified school-level figures from the 2023 reporting year.
How we ranked these
- Institution-wide graduation rates
- Retention and completion measures
- Program-level NCLEX-RN pass results
- Accreditation and state board approval
- Net price after financial aid
- Original research on individual programs
- NCES-IPEDS federal institutional data — nces.ed.gov
- Program-level NCLEX pass rates from the state boards of nursing — ncsbn.org
- College Scorecard post-completion earnings data — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- In-house program catalog data
Margaret H Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Medical Center
#1Lewes, DE · NCLEX-RN pass rate 95.6% (3-yr weighted avg)
Best for: Hands-on learners preferring hospital-based clinical training
All 24 first-time NCLEX-RN candidates from this Lewes hospital diploma passed in the state's 2023 report, the only perfect rate among Delaware prelicensure programs that year. The diploma is awarded through Beebe Medical Center and combines clinical training inside a working health system with a dual-enrollment option that adds a University of Delaware Associate in Arts, plus RN-to-BSN continuation through Wilmington University or Delaware Tech. No average net price after aid or institution-wide graduation rate is published for the hospital-based school.
- Delaware Board of Nursing approved hospital diploma in nursing
- Dual-enrollment pathway adds a University of Delaware Associate in Arts
- Clinical training completed inside Beebe Medical Center
- RN-to-BSN continuation plans with Wilmington University and Delaware Tech
- Preadmission TEAS score of 63% or higher required
- At least 14 college credits before the preadmission TEAS
- Prerequisite GPA above 2.5 with recent anatomy and physiology
- Graduates who pass the NCLEX qualify for automatic pathway acceptance
University of Delaware
#2Newark, DE · $15,000 – $20,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 94.5% (3-yr weighted avg)
Best for: High school seniors seeking direct-entry BSN admission
Delaware's largest prelicensure pipeline sits in Newark: 195 first-time NCLEX-RN candidates in the 2023 report, with 93.85% passing. The four-year, campus-based traditional BSN admits freshmen directly into nursing and holds CCNE accreditation, with clinical placements across ChristianaCare, Nemours, Beebe, and other regional systems. The school's overall graduation rate is 81%, and the average net price after aid is roughly $17,800.
- CCNE accredited traditional BSN with direct entry for freshmen
- Four-year, campus-based program in Newark
- University reports it among the top 6% of undergraduate nursing programs
- Center for Simulation Innovation for hands-on decision-making practice
- Service-learning, study abroad, and undergraduate research options
- Nursing Honors program available
- Guaranteed MSN admission for graduates with a 3.0 GPA
- December 1 nursing application deadline
Delaware Technical Community College-Terry
#3Dover, DE · $10,000 – $15,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 94.4% (3-yr weighted avg)
Best for: Dover-area students staying close to home
The Dover campus posted the strongest 2023 result in the college's network: 96.15% of its 78 first-time NCLEX-RN candidates passed, ahead of the Georgetown and Wilmington campuses. The five-semester, 65-credit Associate Degree Nursing program is approved by the Delaware Board of Nursing and admits through a separate competitive application after prerequisites are complete. The school's overall graduation rate is 22%, and the average net price after aid is about $11,600.
- Five-semester Associate Degree Nursing program, 65 credit hours
- Dover campus, with Georgetown and Stanton delivery options
- Separate competitive admission application after prerequisites
- Full-time five-semester sequence for academically prepared applicants
- Advanced placement for LPNs and paramedics
- Approved by the Delaware Board of Nursing
- Credits transfer into a bachelor's degree as a junior
- Supervised clinical practice in acute care settings
Delaware Technical Community College-Central Office
#4Dover, DE · NCLEX-RN pass rate 89.4% (3-yr weighted avg)
This entry is Delaware Tech's central nursing listing rather than a separate campus, covering the associate degree delivered at Dover, Georgetown, and Stanton. The college reports NCLEX-RN results campus by campus, and in 2023 those first-time rates ranged from 87.23% to 96.15%. No separate average net price or institution-wide graduation rate is published for the central office, and admission runs through the same competitive process as the campus programs.
- College-wide nursing program administered from the Dover central office
- Delivered at the Dover, Georgetown, and Stanton campuses
- Five-semester program, 65 total credit hours
- Entrance exam required, with TEAS accepted
- Prerequisites do not guarantee a seat; competitive admission
- Advanced placement for LPNs and paramedics
- Transfer as a junior into a four-year nursing degree
- Prepares graduates for hospital, clinic, and hospice roles
Delaware State University
#5Dover, DE · $10,000 – $15,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 85.8% (3-yr weighted avg)
Delaware's historically Black public university runs its BSN in Dover, where 83.64% of 55 first-time NCLEX-RN candidates passed in the 2023 report. The curriculum pairs simulation labs and small-class faculty mentorship with clinical placements in public clinics, schools, and assisted-living settings, and the program is approved by the Delaware Board of Nursing. The school's overall graduation rate is 39%, and the average net price after aid is about $13,900.
- Prepares students for NCLEX-RN licensure and registered nurse practice
- Simulation labs plus clinical placements in clinics, schools, and assisted living
- Small classes with close faculty mentorship
- Approved by the Delaware Board of Nursing
- Student Nurses Association membership available
- Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society eligibility
- Historically Black university campus in Dover
Wilmington University
#6New Castle, DE · ~$16,000/yr (est.)
No first-time NCLEX-RN rate applies here, because this New Castle university offers an RN-to-BSN completion program for nurses who already hold a license. The CCNE-accredited program covers 15 courses in about 18 months, with online, classroom, and hybrid options, classes starting every eight weeks, and dual-credit electives that can count toward an MSN. The school's overall graduation rate is 20%, and the average net price after aid is about $15,600.
- CCNE-accredited RN-to-BSN completion program
- 15 courses, often completed in about 18 months
- Online, classroom, or hybrid formats
- Classes start every eight weeks
- Built for working RNs who stay employed while studying
- Dual-credit electives can count toward a future MSN
- Ongoing pathway for Beebe diploma graduates
- BSN opens nurse manager and leadership roles
Inside Our Scoring: Why First-Time NCLEX-RN Results Set the Order
A nursing degree does not make you a nurse. The NCLEX-RN does. Every program on this page can describe its simulation lab and clinical partners, but only the licensing exam tells you whether graduates actually cleared the bar. That is why first-time pass rates, not reputation, set the order here.
What Carries the Weight
Roughly three-quarters of each school's score comes from the first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, averaged across the Delaware Board of Nursing's three most recent reporting years and weighted by how many graduates sat for the exam. Accreditation (ACEN or CCNE) and a smaller completion and retention component account for the rest.
Why Three Years and Why Weighted
Delaware graduates small nursing classes, and small numbers move fast. The Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe posted a 95.6 percent pass rate across 64 test-takers; the University of Delaware posted 94.5 percent across 509. In a cohort of twenty, two additional failures swing the rate ten points, which says more about a single hard semester than about teaching quality. Averaging three years smooths that noise, and weighting by the number of test-takers, key points in How to Read NCLEX-RN Pass Rate Data, keeps one unusually strong graduating class from vaulting past a program that has sustained results at scale.
What These Numbers Do Not Cover
Graduation rates and net price are institution-wide federal figures. They describe the whole campus, not the nursing major specifically, so treat them as context rather than program outcomes. Hospital diploma programs report less federal data overall, and we leave those gaps visible instead of filling them.
Plenty of "best schools" lists never show their math. You should be able to check ours against the state board's published results and disagree if you want to.
Quick Answers for Future Delaware Nurses
Delaware's nursing landscape is compact, so the same few questions come up again and again. Here are short answers to the most common ones, with fuller detail in the sections that follow.
Which Delaware nursing school has the highest NCLEX-RN pass rate?
How hard is it to get into nursing school in Delaware?
Can I become an RN in Delaware without a bachelor's degree?
Delaware State University Nursing Program: Pre-Nursing, Professional Phase, and RN-to-MSN
Yes, Delaware State University offers a BSN, and you earn it on the Dover campus through a two-step path that rewards early planning. DSU's nursing program is accredited by ACEN and CCNE, according to the school's published admissions pages. Ask the Department of Nursing for the current accreditation status before you commit.
How the Two Stages Work
Students enter as pre-nursing majors and spend about two years on prerequisites. They then apply to the professional (clinical) phase, typically during sophomore year, and progress through nursing clinical rotations once admitted. Admission to that phase is not automatic, and the sources do not establish cohort size or guaranteed placement.
- Prerequisites: Anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and chemistry are confirmed. Other courses, required grades, lab components, and recency limits should be verified with the department.
- GPA: DSU publishes no minimum for the professional phase that we could confirm. The university's general 2.0 floor is not the nursing standard. One secondary source puts the usual range at 2.75 to 3.0, with competitive applicants often at 3.0 or higher in core sciences.
- Entrance exam: An exam such as the TEAS is common nationwide, but a DSU-specific requirement and minimum score are not verified for 2026.
- Deadlines: No official professional-phase deadline turned up. General university application dates are not nursing deadlines, so confirm directly with the department.
HBCU Setting and Options for Working Nurses
DSU is a historically Black college and university, a setting that shapes its campus culture and community focus, and one that appears in guides to hbcu nursing programs. There is no evidence of a standalone RN-to-BSN completion program. For working nurses who already hold a BSN, DSU offers an online RN-to-MSN pathway, which you can compare with other online MSN programs Delaware. Applicants need a current, unencumbered RN license, transcripts showing a BSN from a nationally accredited program (ACEN or CCNE) with at least a 2.5 GPA, a current resume, and one professional reference. Clinical placements require a valid RN license in the state where the clinical takes place.
NCLEX-RN Results and One Practical Tip
DSU's first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate was 84.48% in 2024 and 83.64% in 2023, according to the Delaware Board of Nursing, a record that underscores why an NCLEX Prep During Nursing School plan matters.
The tip: treat freshman year as part of the application. Because professional-phase entry is competitive and not guaranteed, track your grades in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and chemistry closely, and aim for the high end of that 2.75 to 3.0 range or above. Meet with a nursing advisor early so you know the current requirements before you apply.
ADN vs. BSN vs. Hospital Diploma: Choosing Your Path to RN in Delaware
All three paths below lead to eligibility for the NCLEX-RN, so the right choice comes down to time, admissions strategy, and long-term goals. Beebe Healthcare's diploma program operates as the Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing, so the Beebe and Rollins names refer to the same hospital-based option. Because Magnet hospitals often prefer to hire BSN-prepared nurses, many ADN and diploma graduates go on to finish an RN-to-BSN, which makes it smart to plan your bridge before you enroll.
| Factor | Delaware Tech ADN | Hospital Diploma (Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Healthcare) | University BSN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credential earned | Associate Degree in Nursing | Hospital-based nursing diploma | Bachelor of Science in Nursing |
| Program length | Not published in the admissions handbook reviewed; confirm with the college | Not stated in the admissions materials reviewed; confirm with the school | Varies by university; confirm with each school |
| Prerequisites | Competitive-admission requirements apply; check the current Admissions Handbook for the full course sequence | At least 14 college credits completed before taking the TEAS | Structure varies; Delaware State University, for example, uses a pre-nursing phase before the professional phase |
| Entrance exam | ATI TEAS, with a minimum total score of 58.7 to be eligible to apply | ATI TEAS at the proficient level or higher (63% cited in admissions guidance), completed by April 1 before August enrollment | Set by each university |
| Application timing | March 15 for an August start; August 15 for a January start | Apply by January 1 (recommended); applications received after June 1 move to the following academic year | Set by each university |
| Admission type | Competitive entry | Competitive placement based on prior college work, GPA, and TEAS performance | Varies by university |
| Partnerships and BSN bridge | Delaware Tech offers its own RN-to-BSN; graduates change majors before registering, and no RN-to-BSN coursework is required before acceptance | Wilmington University's StepPath partnership supports prerequisite coursework, TEAS preparation, and admission readiness; a BSN articulation agreement was not confirmed | Bachelor's-level degree from the start, so no bridge is needed |
| Best fit | Students who want an affordable community-college route to RN with a built-in RN-to-BSN option | Students who want hospital-based training and already have college credits to strengthen their application | Students who want a bachelor's degree from day one and plan to pursue leadership or graduate study |
Delaware Board of Nursing Approval: The Common Thread
Program-by-Program NCLEX-RN Results: Delaware Tech, Beebe, Margaret Rollins, and the Universities
In 2024, U.S.-educated candidates passed the NCLEX-RN on their first try 91.2% of the time, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Against that benchmark, Beebe (100%), Delaware Tech's Terry campus (97.50%), the University of Delaware (96.13%), and Delaware Tech's Stanton campus (92.86%) all finished above the national rate, while Delaware Tech's Owens campus (90.36%) and Delaware State University (84.48%) finished below it, based on the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation's 2024 school-year statistics. We could not confirm prior-year figures, so that column reads Not reported, and Margaret Rollins School of Nursing and Wilmington University are left off rather than estimated; read any single year cautiously, especially for smaller cohorts like hospital-based diploma programs, where a few test-takers can move the rate several points.
| Program | Program Type | Most Recent First-Time Pass Rate | Prior-Year Pass Rate | Years Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beebe School of Nursing | RN (hospital diploma; small cohort) | 100% | Not reported | 2024 |
| Delaware Technical Community College, Terry Campus | RN (ADN) | 97.50% | Not reported | 2024 |
| University of Delaware | RN (BSN) | 96.13% | Not reported | 2024 |
| Delaware Technical Community College, Stanton Campus | RN (ADN) | 92.86% | Not reported | 2024 |
| Delaware Technical Community College, Owens Campus | RN (ADN) | 90.36% | Not reported | 2024 |
| Delaware State University | RN (BSN) | 84.48% | Not reported | 2024 |
Delaware by City
Explore other Delaware related topics
Accelerated Nursing Programs in Delaware for Career Changers and Working RNs
Can you earn an accelerated nursing degree in Delaware if you already hold a bachelor's in another field? Yes, but the in-state choices are narrow. The University of Delaware's Accelerated BSN is the clear option among accelerated BSN programs for career changers.
Accelerated BSN for Career Changers
UD's Accelerated BSN is a 17-month, full-time, on-campus program for applicants with a non-nursing bachelor's degree. Anatomy and Physiology I and II must be completed within five years of enrollment, and other science prerequisites within ten. Transferred prerequisites need at least a C, and UD courses need a C-minus. UD requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for the Accelerated BSN. Start terms are also worth verifying directly with the admissions office before you plan your prerequisites.
I could not confirm any other Delaware school offering comparable second degree nursing programs, so if UD's single cohort does not fit your timeline, widen your search to neighboring Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, where hybrid formats may reduce commuting.
RN-to-BSN Completion for ADN and Diploma Nurses
Working RNs have more flexibility here.
- University of Delaware: rn to bsn online programs are 100% online and require an active, unencumbered RN license. Expect a 2.5 minimum cumulative GPA and 120 total credits for graduation, with up to 30 credits awarded for prior nursing education and experience.
- Wilmington University: The standard RN-to-BSN is 15 courses, roughly 18 months at two courses per block. It is delivered 100% online. Students still finishing an accredited associate program may apply, but full admission requires the RN license.
- Wilmington RN-to-BSN Pathway: Built for RNs who already hold a bachelor's in another field. It is fully online, needs an unencumbered license plus RN work experience, and requires 120 total credits. The 2026-2027 curriculum allows up to 90 transfer credits, though another school page lists 89, so confirm with an advisor. The 31-credit nursing core satisfies residency, and you need at least 12 science credits, with testing available for anatomy and physiology and microbiology.
For a wider look at your options, see our accelerated BSN and RN-to-BSN hub pages.
How Selective Are Delaware's Ranked Nursing Schools?
The bars below show institution-wide admission rates from 2024 federal data. Each figure is the share of all applicants a college admits, not its acceptance rate into nursing, and direct-admit nursing seats such as UD's freshman-entry BSN are usually more competitive than these overall numbers suggest. Beebe School of Nursing, Delaware Tech, and Wilmington University do not have a published overall admission rate in this data, so they are left out rather than estimated.
