Missouri's nursing schools are being judged less on prestige and more on one number: how many graduates pass the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt. That result decides how fast a graduate becomes a registered nurse and gets paid, and it varies widely from campus to campus, even among public vs. private nursing programs with similar tuition.
The best nursing schools in Missouri, ADN and BSN alike, are ordered here by NCLEX-RN performance, with two-year, three-year, and accelerated routes all represented. Cost, first-year earnings, accreditation checks, and state licensure follow the rankings.
A strong pass rate does not guarantee a job offer, but a weak one shows up quickly in hiring and in how long licensure takes.
Missouri Nursing Schools With the Top NCLEX-RN Pass Rates for 2027
First-time NCLEX-RN results are the organizing principle here: programs are ordered by pass rates reported to the Missouri State Board of Nursing across the most recent three years, with program size taken into account. William Jewell College in Liberty takes the number one spot, reporting a 100% first-time pass rate across a cohort of more than 100 test takers. Accreditation standing and completion and retention outcomes separate programs that land within a point or two of one another. One caution worth stating plainly: not every Missouri program publishes a current, program-level pass rate, so where a figure is not available we say so rather than estimate it.
How we ranked these
- Institutional graduation and completion rates
- Student retention and progression
- Accreditation and state board approval
- First-time NCLEX-RN pass rates
- NCLEX cohort size, weighted lightly
- 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
William Jewell College
#1Liberty, MO · ~$18,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 100% (3-yr weighted avg)
Best for: Traditional students wanting early hands-on clinicals
William Jewell's Liberty campus has produced more than 3,000 nursing graduates since 1970, and its pre-licensure BSN reports a 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate. Clinical work begins in the sophomore year at sites that include Children's Mercy, KU Medical Center, Saint Luke's, and the Kansas City VA, and its simulation center was the first internationally endorsed one in Missouri and Kansas. A 6:1 student-faculty ratio and a dedicated NCLEX success coordinator keep cohorts small and closely supported. Institution-wide, the college graduates roughly 68% of its students.
- CCNE accredited four-year BSN; clinicals begin in the sophomore year
- 6:1 student-faculty ratio and more than 650 clinical, lab, and simulation hours
- Simulation center was the first internationally endorsed one in Missouri and Kansas
- Direct admission available for eligible first-year students
- NCLEX Success Coordinator support plus a senior-year NCLEX live review
- Clinicals at Kansas City hospitals including Children's Mercy and KU Medical Center
- Three concentration options; entrance exam (ACT) and a 2.8 GPA minimum
- More than 3,000 nursing graduates since 1970
University of Missouri-Kansas City
#2Kansas City, MO · $13,000 – $30,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 99.4% (3-yr weighted avg)
Best for: Second-degree students needing an accelerated path
UMKC offers two routes into practice on one Kansas City campus: a traditional BSN for first-time college students and a five-semester accelerated BSN for people who already hold a bachelor's degree. The accelerated track packs 1,050 clinical hours and a 300-hour capstone internship into less than two years, with rotations across seven specialties. A separate online RN to BSN program is nationally ranked and requires no campus visits. Institution-wide, the university graduates roughly 55% of its students.
- Traditional four to five year pre-licensure track
- Direct Admit option for qualified high school students
- Clinical experiences begin in the fall
- January supplemental application deadline
- Two concentration options
- Five-semester program completed in less than two years
- 1,050 clinical hours plus a 300-hour capstone internship
- Clinical rotations across seven specialties
- 2.8 GPA minimum with a 3.5 recommended prerequisite GPA
- Daytime classes only; 30 hours of direct patient interaction required
- Kansas in-state tuition and discounted Heartland tuition for eligible students
- Ranked #12 online RN to BSN program nationally
- Synchronous and asynchronous options with no campus visits required
- Team-directed practice experiences build leadership and management skills
- 2.5 GPA minimum
- BSN to PhD bridge option available
Missouri Southern State University
#3Joplin, MO · $12,000/yr (est. net price) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 99% (3-yr weighted avg)
Best for: Southwest Missouri students staying close to home
Missouri Southern built its Joplin BSN around hands-on learning and small classes, and reports a 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate with 100% job placement within six months for 2024-2025 graduates. The program added a spring pre-licensure cohort in 2026, admitting roughly 30 students in fall and 20 in spring. Support from Mercy Hospital Joplin through the Missouri Southern Foundation helped fund that expansion, which responds to nursing shortages across the Four State region. Institution-wide, the university graduates about 42% of its students.
- ACEN accredited BSN with a reported 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate
- New spring pre-licensure cohort added in 2026, admitting about 20 students
- Fall cohort admits about 30 students; roughly 100 juniors and seniors enrolled
- Mercy Hospital Joplin support through the Missouri Southern Foundation funded expansion
- Reported 100% job placement within six months of graduation
- State funding supports smaller class sizes
- Accelerated nursing degree pathway available
Missouri Western State University
#4Saint Joseph, MO · $13,000/yr (est. net price) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 97.9% (3-yr weighted avg)
Missouri Western's St. Joseph BSN leans on simulation and small clinical groups, with a 10:1 student-to-instructor ratio and a senior capstone that eases the move into practice. The Nursing Scholars of Promise partnership with Mosaic Life Care covers tuition and fees for selected students in their first three years, with part-time work at Mosaic while they are enrolled. Clinical placements reach across St. Joseph and the greater Kansas City area, and the program is CCNE accredited and approved by the state board.
- CCNE accredited BSN with Missouri State Board of Nursing approval
- 10:1 student-to-instructor ratio in clinical groups
- Senior Capstone course for the transition into the RN role
- Nursing Scholars of Promise with Mosaic Life Care covers tuition and fees for three years
- Selected scholars work part time at Mosaic and commit to four years of employment after graduation
- High-tech patient simulators and clinical placements across St. Joseph and greater Kansas City
- Research opportunities with experienced nursing faculty
North Central Missouri College
#5Trenton, MO · ~$14,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 95.8% (3-yr weighted avg)
North Central Missouri College runs a nine-month associate degree nursing program built for LPNs who want to move into the RN role, offered in Trenton, in Savannah, or fully online. Coursework mixes adult health, mental health, maternal and child health, pharmacology, and leadership with lab and clinical practice. Advisors meet with every student each semester, and an RN to BSN pathway is available after licensure. Institution-wide, the college graduates roughly 58% of its students.
- Nine-month program running August through May
- Offered in Trenton, in Savannah, or fully online
- NLN CNEA accredited and approved by the Missouri State Board of Nursing
- Coursework covers adult health, mental health, maternal and child health, and leadership
- Lab and clinical practice included alongside coursework
- Advisors meet with students each semester
- RN to BSN pathway available after licensure
- Designed for LPNs moving into the RN role
Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences
#6Cape Girardeau, MO · $15,000 – $20,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 95.7% (3-yr weighted avg)
This hospital-based college in Cape Girardeau awards both an associate degree in nursing and a pre-licensure BSN, which puts students close to the clinical environment throughout their training. The associate program includes full-time and part-time options, an evening and weekend track, and an accelerated route for LPNs and paramedics, with LPN graduates receiving priority admission. Institution-wide, the college graduates about 75% of its students.
- Campus-based pre-licensure BSN at a hospital-affiliated nursing college
- 72 total credit hours with full-time and part-time options
- Evening and weekend part-time track available
- Entrance exam required: ACT, SAT, or TEAS
- Clinicals at Mercy Hospital Southeast
- Accelerated LPN or paramedic to RN track
- LPN graduates receive priority admission
- 2.5 GPA minimum and approved by the Missouri State Board of Nursing
- Two concentration options
Jefferson College
#7Hillsboro, MO · $7,000/yr (est. net price) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 95.8% (3-yr weighted avg)
Jefferson College's nursing offering is a bi-level associate degree program at its Hillsboro campus. Published program detail is thinner here than for other schools on this list, so prospective students should confirm admission requirements, cohort sizes, and current NCLEX results directly with the department rather than relying on older figures. Institution-wide, the college graduates roughly 38% of its students.
College of the Ozarks
#8Point Lookout, MO · $5,000 – $10,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 95.5% (3-yr weighted avg)
College of the Ozarks is known as a work college, where students hold campus jobs in place of paying tuition, and its CCNE-accredited BSN follows a six-semester nursing sequence with a Christian emphasis. A one-on-one preceptorship with a registered nurse in the final year and clinical placements across the Ozark Mountains give students sustained patient contact before graduation. Institution-wide, the college graduates about 64% of its students.
- CCNE accredited pre-licensure BSN
- Four-year program following a six-semester nursing course plan
- One-on-one preceptorship with a registered nurse
- Clinical settings across the Ozark Mountains
- 2.8 GPA minimum with prerequisite courses required
- Christ-centered nursing education
- Graduate study pathways supported after licensure
Texas County Technical College
#9Houston, MO · ~$19,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 95.9% (3-yr weighted avg)
Texas County Technical College keeps its nursing program short and schedule-friendly: a 47-week LPN to RN bridge that runs from start to finish in about a year. Classes meet two or three days a week, clinical hours cover ER, OR, and ICU settings, and a three-day NCLEX review is built into the schedule so students can keep working as LPNs while enrolled. Program materials report an 89% licensure pass rate and 95% job placement.
- 47-week LPN to RN bridge completed in about one year
- 450 clinical hours with sites in ER, OR, and ICU
- NCLEX prep built into the program plus a three-day review session
- Classes meet two to three days a week in small groups
- Students can keep working as LPNs while enrolled
- Entrance exam required, plus 40 hours of job shadowing
- Program materials report an 89% licensure pass rate and 95% job placement
Park University
#10Parkville, MO · $20,000 – $25,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 96.2% (3-yr weighted avg)
Park University's pre-licensure BSN in Parkville is designed for people coming to nursing from another field as well as for LPNs, with prior learning credit available for licensed practical nurses. The CCNE-accredited program runs 124 credit hours in a cohort structure with fall and spring starts, and admission is competitive, requiring a NursingCAS application and an ATI admissions test. Institution-wide, the university graduates roughly 38% of its students.
- CCNE accredited and approved by the Missouri State Board of Nursing
- 124 total credit hours in a cohort-based structure
- Two start dates per year in fall and spring
- Prior learning credit available for licensed practical nurses
- Competitive admission with a NursingCAS application and ATI admissions test
- Nursing GPA of 2.8 required
- Clinical experiences at the Parkville campus
Inside the Scores: Why Exam Results Carry Most of the Weight
Why NCLEX performance matters most
Passing the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt is the clearest public signal that a program actually prepares students for entry-level practice. It is also the gate every Missouri graduate must clear before earning the RN credential, so a school's first-time pass rate connects directly to whether its students become working nurses and meet new grad nurse expectations. That exam result drives roughly 75 percent of each score.
Smoothing out small-cohort swings
A program that graduates only a handful of students can be misled by one unusually strong or weak year. The scoring uses a three-year, taker-weighted average for that reason. A larger graduating class counts more than a tiny one, and one unusual year cannot erase or inflate the longer pattern.
What else enters the picture
The remaining weight comes from program-level accreditation, primarily ACEN or CCNE accreditation, plus a smaller share for completion and retention. Accreditation signals that a program meets national nursing education standards. Net price and graduate earnings are shown nearby for context, but they do not change the order here because a low-cost program with weak licensure outcomes still leaves students stranded before they can practice.
Check the numbers yourself
Most Missouri "best of" lists and university pages do not explain how they arrive at their order. That gap is easy to close: every pass rate can be checked against the Missouri State Board of Nursing's published NCLEX report. If a school's number cannot be matched to that public source, treat the claim with extra caution.
Two-Year RN Programs at Missouri Community Colleges
Does a two-year RN degree prepare you for the same license as a four-year BSN? Yes. An associate degree in nursing (ADN, sometimes called an ASN) packs roughly two years of nursing coursework into a prelicensure program, and graduates sit for the exact same NCLEX-RN exam that BSN graduates take. Pass that exam, and you hold the same registered nurse license. For many Missouri students, the community college route is the fastest and most affordable way to start practicing.
Can You Get In Without Prerequisites?
Usually not. Most Missouri ADN programs are selective and expect you to clear academic groundwork before you even apply. At Metropolitan Community College in the Kansas City area, applicants must finish prerequisites such as general chemistry, anatomy and physiology, human lifespan development, and general psychology, each completed with a grade of C or higher, before submitting an application.1 MCC also wants a current placement assessment (Accuplacer scores no more than three years old) and an ATI TEAS score of at least 58.7%, achievable within two attempts in a calendar year.12
St. Louis Community College runs a separate nursing admission process with its own checklist: a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 and a TEAS composite of 58.7% completed within the past two years.3 If you need to retake the TEAS, expect to wait about 30 days between attempts, with a cap of three attempts in twelve months.3 Both schools require criminal-background checks, drug screening, and current immunization records for clinical placement.15
Bridge Routes and Diploma Programs
Already licensed as an LPN? You don't have to start from scratch. St. Louis Community College offers LPN-to-RN and paramedic-to-RN bridges that fold you into the standard ADN track, generally at the second-year point.4 Metropolitan Community College structures its LPN to RN program as three additional semesters with its own admission requirements.2
A hospital diploma program is a different animal: it is run by a healthcare system rather than a college and emphasizes clinical hours over transferable college credit. An ADN earns you an actual degree that transfers smoothly into an RN to BSN program later.
In the Springfield area, Ozarks Technical Community College is the primary community college option for ADN study, so confirm its current prerequisites and exam requirements directly with the school before you plan your timeline.
ADN vs. BSN in Missouri at a Glance
Both paths end at the same NCLEX-RN exam and the same Missouri RN license. The real differences are time, cost, and long-term career ceiling, so weigh how quickly you need to start working against where you want to be in ten years.
Accelerated BSN Programs in Missouri: Length, Prerequisites, and Start Terms
Accelerated BSN programs in Missouri run 12 to 17 months for students who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field. Saint Louis University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis sit at the short end, and the University of Missouri takes 17 months. Expect a science-heavy prerequisite list (commonly chemistry, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, statistics, and developmental psychology) plus a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the schools that publish one, and because these programs compress a full BSN into full-time study, plan your finances so you can step away from outside employment for the duration.
| School | City | Program Length | Key Prerequisites | Start Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Louis University Accelerated B.S.N. | St. Louis | 12 months | Bachelor's or higher degree from a regionally accredited U.S. school (or international equivalent); minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA; chemistry, human anatomy, human physiology, microbiology, statistics, developmental psychology, theology or religion, philosophy or ethics, English Composition II, oral communication, fine arts, and other general education courses | Spring and fall |
| University of Missouri-St. Louis Accelerated BSN | St. Louis | 12 months | Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA; chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, and microbiology with a B- or higher; statistics and lifespan developmental psychology | Fall (fall 2026 entry identified) |
| Missouri State University Accelerated BSN | N/A | 15 months | Previous degree may be applied toward completing the BSN; check the school's admission requirements for the full course list | Fall only |
| University of Missouri Accelerated BSN | N/A | 17 months | For non-nursing post-baccalaureate students; minimum 3.0 GPA; prerequisite coursework completed before starting | Fall or spring |
Missouri by City
Explore other Missouri related topics
Missouri RN Licensure Essentials
Other Accredited Missouri Nursing Programs Worth a Look
The schools below round out the picture of nursing education in Missouri, grouped by the part of the state where you would study. Each entry notes the city, degree level, delivery format, and the average net price the school reports. Many of these campuses feed directly into the hospitals and health systems in their own region.
Kansas City
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing
St. Louis
- Nursing
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- RN to BSN
- Nursing, AS
Springfield and the Ozarks
- Associate of Science in Nursing
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) (Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)-to-Registered Nurse (RN) Bridge)
- RN to BSN Completion
- Professional Nursing (RN) Program
Central and Rural Missouri
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Associate of Applied Science in Nursing
- Associate Degree Nursing
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- RN to BSN
- Associate of Nursing (RN)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing