A nursing program's name matters less than whether its graduates clear the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt. Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing data show first-time pass rates among programs on this list running from 94.6% at Fitchburg State University to 100% at Emmanuel College and Middlesex Community College. Where scores are close, accreditation and completion rates separate the programs.
An ADN from a community college remains the lowest-cost entry route to RN licensure, while university BSN and accelerated tracks serve candidates with different timelines. The practical question is not prestige; it is whether a program's nursing school clinical hours, transfer agreements, and posted results align with your budget and location.
Top Nursing Schools in Massachusetts for NCLEX-RN Pass Rates
The question that drives the order of this list is simple: how reliably do a school's graduates pass the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt? Where exam results sit close together, accreditation and completion separate the programs. Every school here is in Massachusetts, and each card gives you the degree level, city, online or campus format, average net price after aid, and the share of students the institution graduates.
How we ranked these
- Institutional graduation and retention rates
- First-time NCLEX-RN pass rates
- Program accreditation status
- Average net price after aid
- Depth of clinical placements
- 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
Emmanuel College
#1Boston, MA · ~$27,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 100%
Best for: Students who want Boston clinical rotations
Emmanuel College has educated nurses in Boston for more than 40 years, pairing a values-driven liberal arts core with clinical placements at the city's teaching hospitals. The CCNE-accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing includes a capstone mentored by a practicing nurse and rotations across mental health, maternity, pediatrics, and community health. The college also runs an onsite evening RN-to-BSN pathway for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center nurses, with the hospital covering tuition and related costs for eligible staff.
- CCNE accredited; approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing
- Capstone mentored by a practicing professional nurse
- Clinical placements at Boston teaching hospitals
- Rotations in mental health, maternity, pediatrics, and community health
- Coursework spans nursing theory, pathopharmacology, and health assessment
- 40+ years of nursing education leadership
Middlesex Community College
#2Bedford, MA · $6,000 – $12,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 100% (3-yr weighted avg)
Best for: Cost-conscious students starting an ADN
Middlesex Community College in Bedford offers a campus-based associate degree in nursing built around NCLEX-RN preparation, with hands-on clinical work woven through the curriculum. Admission is selective: applicants need a 2.5 GPA, specific science courses completed with a C or better, and a passing TEAS score. As a public community college, Middlesex keeps tuition low for Massachusetts residents, making it one of the most affordable entry points to RN practice in the state. Its overall institutional completion rate trails the four-year schools on this list, so ask about advising and academic support before you enroll.
- Campus-based program that prepares students for the NCLEX-RN
- 2.5 GPA and TEAS test required for admission
- Prerequisite science courses must be completed with a C or better
- Hands-on clinical experiences with direct patient contact
- Coursework covers fundamentals of nursing, pharmacology, and care across generations
- Emphasis on safety, evidence-based practice, and professional development
Endicott College
#3Beverly, MA · $40,000 – $45,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 98.2% (3-yr weighted avg)
Best for: Early hands-on clinical training
Endicott College in Beverly runs a full-time, campus-based BSN that starts clinical work in sophomore year at a 1:6 faculty-to-student ratio. The 126-credit curriculum blends liberal arts with nursing theory and practice across health assessment, adult care, childbearing families, psychosocial nursing, and acute care, finishing with a senior internship and capstone, often at Boston hospitals. Program materials report a 100% licensure pass rate and a 99% job placement rate, and a fifth-year master's option lets students continue straight into graduate study.
- CCNE accredited
- 126 total credit hours; full-time enrollment required
- Clinical experience begins in sophomore year
- 1:6 faculty-to-student ratio in clinicals
- Internships at Boston-area hospitals
- Senior capstone required
- Fifth year master's option
- 3.0 GPA minimum; test optional
Boston College
#4Chestnut Hill, MA · ~$42,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 96.5% (3-yr weighted avg)
Boston College pairs a four-year, campus-based BSN with the resources of a large research university and more than 85 clinical partnerships across the Boston area. Students complete a full liberal arts and science sequence alongside nursing coursework, with clinical placements at Brigham and Women's, Boston Children's, and other major hospitals. The program reports a 98% first-time NCLEX pass rate, and about one-third of juniors study abroad. Admission is highly selective, and roughly nine in ten students complete their degree.
- CCNE accredited four-year BSN
- More than 85 clinical partnerships across the Boston region
- Clinical placements at Brigham and Women's and Boston Children's
- Seacole Scholars living-learning community
- Undergraduate Research Fellows program
- Study abroad in junior year; about one-third of juniors go
- Roughly 448 undergraduate nursing students
- One-on-one faculty mentorship
Westfield State University
#5Westfield, MA · $15,000 – $20,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 98.4% (3-yr weighted avg)
Westfield State University delivers a CCNE-accredited BSN on a public-university budget, with clinical rotations beginning in the first semester of sophomore year and a simulation lab on campus. Coursework covers nursing across the lifespan, community health, psychiatric nursing, and leadership, then closes with a capstone preceptorship that pairs seniors with practicing nurses. Clinical sites draw on regional systems including Baystate Medical Center, Berkshire Medical Center, and UMass Memorial. Small classes and low in-state tuition make it one of the stronger value options for a Massachusetts BSN.
- CCNE accredited; approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing
- Clinical rotations begin in the first semester of sophomore year
- State-of-the-art simulation lab
- Capstone preceptorship pairs seniors with practicing nurses
- 100% senior internship placement
- 2.5 GPA minimum; no entrance exam required
- Small class sizes with faculty-led instruction
- Clinical sites include Baystate Medical Center and UMass Memorial
Bunker Hill Community College
#6Boston, MA · $8,000/yr (est. net price) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 99.8% (3-yr weighted avg)
Bunker Hill Community College sits in Boston's Charlestown neighborhood and offers an associate degree in nursing that leads to RN licensure after more than 500 hours of clinical practice. The curriculum combines nursing theory, practice, and science with a broad liberal arts foundation, and first-time NCLEX pass rates have ranged between 98 and 100 percent in recent years. Admission is selective and requires attending a nursing information session before applying. The college's overall graduation rate is low, so plan for the study hours and support a demanding clinical schedule requires.
- Prepares students to sit for the NCLEX-RN
- Over 500 hours of clinical practice
- First-time NCLEX pass rates between 98 and 100 percent in recent years
- Nursing theory, practice, and science plus a broad liberal arts foundation
- Selective admission; nursing information session required before applying
- Campus-based classes in Charlestown with close faculty mentoring
- Small learning community of mentors and advisors
Assumption University
#7Worcester, MA · ~$29,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 96%
Assumption University's nursing school in Worcester delivers a four-year, campus-based BSN with direct admission to the major and a curriculum rooted in Catholic healthcare ethics. Students complete 56 credits of nursing coursework from pathophysiology through public health, plus clinical rotations at UMass Memorial and Saint Vincent's Hospital, supported by high-fidelity simulation labs. The program reports a 100% NCLEX pass rate for its Class of 2025, a 97.8% three-year aggregate pass rate, and a 100% job placement rate.
- CCNE accredited four-year BSN
- 127 total credit hours; 56 credits of nursing coursework
- Direct admission to the nursing program as a freshman
- Clinical rotations at UMass Memorial and Saint Vincent's Hospital
- High-fidelity simulation mannequins in a 41,000 square foot health sciences building
- 100% NCLEX pass rate for the Class of 2025
- 97.8% three-year aggregate NCLEX pass rate
- Catholic healthcare ethics focus with an annual hands blessing ceremony
Greenfield Community College
#8Greenfield, MA · $8,000/yr (est. net price) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 97.2% (3-yr weighted avg)
Greenfield Community College offers a four-semester associate degree in nursing that prepares students for the NCLEX-RN, with clinical rotations across medical-surgical, pediatric, maternity, and mental health settings. A simulation lab, small faculty-led cohorts, and a pre-nursing certificate pathway support students who are new to health care or returning to school. Graduates can use RN-to-BSN articulation agreements with six four-year institutions, and practicing LPNs can apply for advanced placement. The program reports a 97% licensure pass rate and 100% job placement within six months.
- Four-semester associate degree completed in about two years
- ACEN accredited and approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing
- 70 total credit hours; $9,884 total program tuition reported
- Prepares students for the NCLEX-RN
- Concentration options include pediatric, maternity, medical-surgical, and mental health
- TEAS entrance exam and 2.0 GPA minimum
- RN-to-BSN articulation agreements with six four-year schools
- LPN advanced placement and a pre-nursing certificate pathway available
Worcester State University
#9Worcester, MA · ~$13,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 95.4% (3-yr weighted avg)
Worcester State University's campus-based BSN emphasizes clinical judgment, evidence-based practice, and culturally sensitive care, with simulation labs and rotations at UMass Memorial Health and community health centers. The curriculum spans medical-surgical, pediatric, mental health, and community health nursing, and graduates are eligible for the NCLEX-RN. Students can join a National Student Nurses' Association chapter and a Sigma Theta Tau honor society chapter, and the university reports strong first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates. About six in ten students complete their degree, and in-state tuition is among the lower price points for a public BSN in Massachusetts.
- CCNE accredited campus-based BSN
- Prepares students for the NCLEX-RN
- Clinical placements at UMass Memorial Health and community health centers
- Simulation labs and hands-on practice
- Curriculum covers medical-surgical, pediatric, mental health, and community health nursing
- Student-led National Student Nurses' Association chapter
- Sigma Theta Tau international honor society chapter
- Prerequisite courses required for admission
Fitchburg State University
#10Fitchburg, MA · $14,000/yr (est. net price) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 94.6% (3-yr weighted avg)
Fitchburg State University was the first public state university in Massachusetts to offer nursing and still runs a CCNE-accredited, campus-based BSN with three undergraduate tracks. Students train in a simulation lab that includes code blue scenarios, complete a capstone with 17 clinical hours per week, and can join faculty-led study abroad trips. The program reports an NCLEX pass rate above 95% sustained over seven years. In-state tuition is moderate, and small class sizes keep instruction collaborative.
- CCNE accredited four-year BSN
- First public state university in Massachusetts to offer nursing
- Three undergraduate nursing tracks
- Simulation lab with code blue training
- Capstone with 17 clinical hours per week
- Reports over 95% NCLEX pass rate across seven years
- Faculty-led study abroad opportunities
- Approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing
What Moves a School up This List: Exam Results, Accreditation, and Completion
What actually earns a Massachusetts nursing program a spot near the top of this list? The short answer: how many of its graduates pass the NCLEX-RN on their first try.
First-Time NCLEX Results Carry the Most Weight
Roughly three quarters of each school's score comes from first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate data, drawn from the state board's most recent three years and weighted by the number of test takers.1 That weighting matters. A single small cohort that has an unusually good or bad year can't swing a school's standing, because a program graduating a handful of students counts for less than one sending dozens of candidates to the exam. The result is a more stable picture of how consistently a program prepares its graduates for licensure. Generic directories like Niche rarely disclose any nursing-specific criteria at all.
Accreditation and Completion Fill Out the Rest
The remaining weight combines accreditation status with a smaller completion and retention component. Accreditation is worth understanding before you enroll. ADN programs are typically accredited by ACEN, while BSN programs hold CCNE or ACEN accreditation. UMass Dartmouth's BSN, for example, is CCNE-accredited.2 This matters because accreditation affects whether your credits transfer into a BSN, your eligibility for graduate school (including MSN Programs in Massachusetts), and sometimes which employers will hire you.
Keep the limits in view. Graduation rate and net price are institution-wide figures, not nursing-specific, so they describe the whole campus rather than the nursing department.
Separately, state board approval governs NCLEX eligibility. Programs in Massachusetts carrying Approval with Warning status remain fully NCLEX-eligible while they correct deficiencies, generally within 12 months.1
Massachusetts Nursing Schools NCLEX Pass Rates, ADN and BSN Side by Side
Most rows below come from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing's first-time NCLEX-RN report for Massachusetts-educated candidates, covering 2022 through 2024 as of our October 2026 review. Merrimack College and the MCPHS accelerated BSN campuses publish their own 2023 through 2025 first-attempt results, so every cell shows its year and degree type is listed only where the source specifies it. For context, a third-party compilation of 2025 Massachusetts results put the statewide median first-time pass rate at 90.5%, with associate degree programs at 85% and bachelor's programs at 90%; compare any school against that and against the national first-time rate published by the NCSBN. American International College, Bay State College, and MCPHS Worcester held at or above 90% in all three years. Anna Maria College and MassBay Community College rose sharply after 2022, Boston College and MCPHS Boston swung several points year to year, and Merrimack's first-attempt rate slid from 97% to 86%.
| School | Program Type | Most Recent Year Pass Rate | Prior Year Pass Rate | Two Years Prior Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American International College | Not specified | 94% (2024) | 94% (2023) | 90% (2022) |
| Anna Maria College | Not specified | 95% (2024) | 96% (2023) | 86% (2022) |
| Bay State College | Not specified | 100% (2024) | 100% (2023) | 93% (2022) |
| Boston College | BSN | 92% (2024) | 98% (2023) | 95% (2022) |
| MassBay Community College | ADN | 89% (2024) | 90% (2023) | 81% (2022) |
| Merrimack College (school-reported, first attempt) | Not specified | 86% (2025) | 93% (2024) | 97% (2023) |
| MCPHS University, Boston campus (school-reported) | Accelerated BSN | 90% (2025) | 95.6% (2024) | 86.2% (2023) |
| MCPHS University, Worcester campus (school-reported) | Accelerated BSN | 90% (2025) | 93% (2024) | 90.3% (2023) |
2-Year Nursing Programs in MA: What Community College ADN Timelines Really Look Like
Yes, Massachusetts community colleges offer ADN programs that lead directly to RN licensure, and they remain the most affordable entry route into nursing. But the "2-year" label describes the nursing curriculum itself, roughly 18 to 24 months of full-time coursework, not the time from your first class to your license.
Prerequisites and Entrance Exams
Before you apply to the nursing sequence, most colleges expect you to complete prerequisite coursework: Anatomy & Physiology I and II with labs, Microbiology with lab, English Composition, and General Psychology. Science courses often expire; Massasoit enforces a five-year recency window, and Berkshire requires at least a C+ in Anatomy & Physiology I taken within seven years, with Accuplacer placement scores expiring after four years.
The ATI TEAS is the most widely used nursing school entrance exam. Competitive applicants typically land around the 60th percentile, with composite minimums near 63 percent, though cutoffs vary and some programs publish none. Minimum nursing school GPA requirements generally fall between 2.7 and 3.2, but meeting a minimum does not guarantee a seat.
Competitive Admission and Scheduling
Massachusetts community college ADN admission is selective, not open enrollment. When qualified applicants outnumber clinical seats, programs may use a lottery, points-based ranking, or a waitlist. In high-demand areas, waits can stretch one to three years, and waitlist rules differ: some carry forward, others require you to reapply each cycle.
Most programs run full-time during the day. Part-time and evening tracks exist for students working while in nursing school; Massasoit's evening pathway is built for students with daytime responsibilities, but these are not universal and can lengthen the sequence.
The Realistic Timeline
Count on 2.5 to 4 years from first prerequisite to degree if admission comes promptly, and 3 to 5 years if you take prerequisites part-time, hit a waitlist, or choose an evening track. When you compare ADN programs in the pass-rate table above, weigh those results alongside the timeline each schedule realistically demands.
From ADN to BSN: Massachusetts Transfer Pathways That Protect Your Credits
Starting at a community college no longer means starting over when you pursue a bachelor's degree in Massachusetts. The state's Nursing Education Transfer Compact (NETC) builds on MassTransfer to move associate degree nurses into RN to BSN programs in Massachusetts at the state universities and UMass campuses with their coursework intact.1
How the Compact Works
NETC covers graduates of community college Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing who pass the NCLEX-RN and complete the 34-credit MassTransfer general education block.1 Up to 72 ADN credits can count toward upper-division nursing, with no expiration on older courses.2 The full RN-to-BSN is capped at 128 credits unless the receiving school requires extra major coursework of every RN-to-BSN student.1 Students who meet the campus minimum and hold at least a 2.75 GPA skip the application fee and essay and receive preferential admission, though seats still depend on availability.1
Campus Examples
- Westfield State University: Expects a 2.75 cumulative GPA and an unencumbered Massachusetts RN license by program start, with lower GPAs considered at the department chair's discretion.3 It holds agreements with Springfield Technical, Holyoke, and Greenfield community colleges.4
- Framingham State University: Requires a 2.5 GPA in prelicensure nursing courses. You may apply during your final ADN semester but must be licensed before nursing courses begin.5
- MassBay Community College: Lists transfer agreements with Framingham State, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and William James College. Ask private partners exactly how nursing credits apply.
Protect Your Credits
Confirm your ADN program's approval and accreditation, guard your GPA from the first semester, and time the NCLEX so your license lines up with your BSN start date. Because many Massachusetts hospitals prefer BSN-prepared nurses, this ADN to BSN transfer route can be a lower-cost on-ramp to the same credential.
Traditional, Accelerated, and RN-to-BSN Routes in Massachusetts
Accelerated BSN programs in Massachusetts run from about 12 months at UMass Boston and Mass General Brigham to 20 months at Elms College. That spread is why it helps to sort BSN routes by who they are built for before comparing schools.
Traditional BSN
The traditional four-year BSN fits first-time college students. Nursing coursework and clinical rotations are woven in alongside general education, so there is no prior degree to bring and no rush to finish.
Accelerated and Second-Degree BSN
Accelerated tracks are for students making a career change to nursing who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field. Most require prerequisite science coursework and a minimum GPA, commonly around 3.0 or higher.
- UMass Boston: About 12 months, full-time hybrid, with fall, spring, and summer starts.
- Mass General Brigham: About 12 months, onsite, with spring and summer starts.
- UMass Amherst and Northeastern: About 16 months each. Amherst is on campus, while Northeastern is hybrid with January, May, and September cohorts.
- UMass Dartmouth: About 17 months, hybrid, with a single fall cohort. Its current listing points to Fall 2027.
- Elms College: About 20 months, full-time and cohort-based.
- Regis, Simmons, and MCPHS: Regis is hybrid with fall and spring starts, Simmons is campus-based, and MCPHS lists a fall start.
Confirm start dates and prerequisite lists with each school, since cohort timing changes from year to year.
What the Pace Demands
These programs compress a full nursing curriculum into one continuous stretch, with classes, labs, and clinical hours stacked back to back. Hybrid coursework may be online, but clinicals are still in person. Most students find that holding a job during the program is not realistic, so budget for living expenses as well as tuition.
RN-to-BSN
RN-to-BSN programs are for nurses who already hold an ADN and an active license. They are usually built around working schedules, and the pace is far gentler than an accelerated track.
For fuller program lists, see the dedicated Massachusetts ABSN and RN-to-BSN pages on registerednursing.org.
Massachusetts by City
Explore other Massachusetts related topics
How Long Does It Take to Become an RN in Massachusetts?
Program length gets most of the attention, but paperwork adds real weeks after graduation. Massachusetts licensure applications go by mail, and review cannot begin until every document arrives, including your transcript and a 2x2 passport-style photo. A 45-day waiting condition also applies before your Authorization to Test (ATT) takes effect, and no single graduation-to-license timeline applies to every applicant.
Massachusetts RN Licensure Essentials
More Massachusetts RN Programs Worth a Look
The schools below round out the Massachusetts programs ranked above, listed by region with degree level, format, and average net price. They range from hospital-based diploma programs and community college associate degrees to four-year university BSNs. Use these entries to build a shortlist, then check each program's NCLEX-RN results and accreditation status before you apply.
Greater Boston
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Bachelor of Science, Nursing Major
- Accelerated Second Degree in Nursing (ACCEL)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- AS in Nursing
Merrimack Valley
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Associate Degree in Nursing
North Shore
- Nurse Education
- LPN to RN Option
Southeastern Massachusetts
- Hospital Diploma in Nursing
- Associate Degree Nurse Education – Full Time
- Associate Degree LPN to Associate Degree Advanced Placement Nurse Education – Part Time (LPN to RN)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Western Massachusetts
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Nursing
- Nursing (Accelerated)
- Associate in Science in Nursing
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing