A two-year associate degree at College of Southern Nevada and a bachelor's at the University of Nevada, Reno cost different amounts, yet both end at the same checkpoint: the NCLEX-RN. CSN runs about $4,358 a year in in-state tuition and fees, with a 94% first-time pass rate. UNR charges roughly $9,578 and posts 96.7%.
That gap frames the real choice among nursing degree levels for 2026. An ADN or ASN in Las Vegas gets you licensed and earning sooner. A BSN in Reno or Henderson costs more up front but sets you up for leadership roles and graduate study.
Nevada licenses no one without a passing NCLEX-RN result, so NCLEX pass rates by school show what tuition actually buys.
Why First-Time NCLEX-RN Results Decide This List
Pass Rates Come First
Why does a nursing school's first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate matter more than its brochure? No one works as a registered nurse in Nevada without passing that exam. A program's first-attempt results show how well it actually prepared its graduates. That is why pass rates carry roughly three quarters of the weight here. The NCLEX-RN pass rate data come from the Nevada State Board of Nursing's three most recent years and are weighted by how many graduates tested, so one unusually small class can't distort the picture. Accreditation and a modest completion and retention factor break ties.
Accreditation and Board Approval
These are two separate checks. State board of nursing approval is what lets graduates sit for the NCLEX-RN in Nevada. Full approval requires national accreditation once the first class graduates, plus an annual average first-time pass rate of at least 80%. ACEN or CCNE accreditation also matters later, when you transfer into an RN to BSN program in Nevada or apply to graduate school. To verify a school:
- Locate it: Find the exact program, campus, and degree on the Board's current approved program list.
- Check the category: Note whether approval is full, provisional or conditional, or clinical-only.
- Confirm accreditation: Look up ACEN or CCNE status at that specific degree level in the accreditor's directory.
- Resolve conflicts: If a school's website and the Board's list disagree, contact the Board directly.
What the Numbers Don't Tell You
Graduation rates measure the whole institution, not just the nursing program. Net price is an average cost after financial aid, not a quote for your situation. Only programs with Nevada campuses appear here. Online programs that out-of-state schools market to Nevada residents are not ranked.
Best NCLEX-RN Outcomes: Nevada's Top Nursing Schools for 2027
Nevada's pre-licensure RN programs are ordered here by first-time NCLEX-RN outcomes, with program accreditation and completion standing as tie-breakers when results are close. The schools below span associate and bachelor's pathways in Elko, Reno, Henderson, Carson City, Las Vegas, and the surrounding communities. Where a program's recent first-time pass rate has been published with a clear year and source, it appears in the entry; where the state board's school-level tables were not fully readable, we say less rather than guess.
How we ranked these
- Institution-wide graduation rates
- First-time NCLEX-RN pass results
- Program accreditation status
- Program completion and retention
- Net price and typical borrowing
- 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
Great Basin College
#1Elko, NV · ~$8,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 100% (3-yr weighted avg)
Best for: Rural northern Nevada students staying near home
Great Basin College in Elko anchors nursing education for rural northern Nevada, pairing a campus-based associate degree with a paramedic and LPN bridge track and an online RN to BSN completion path. The associate program runs four semesters with a single fall start, uses a point-based admission system, and delivers interactive video lectures across multiple regional centers so students in outlying communities can take part. The school's overall graduation rate is 41%, which reflects the commuter and part-time mix common at rural community colleges.
- ACEN accredited associate degree
- Four-semester program with one fall start per year
- Admission based on a point system
- TEAS entrance exam required
- Application deadline is the first week of April
- Two concentration options
- Simulation labs plus interactive video lectures across regional centers
- Military benefits accepted
- Bridge track built for paramedics and LPNs
- 60 total credit hours
- Credit awarded for prior education and experience
- Includes a summer bridge course
- Requires psychology and microbiology prerequisites
- Application deadline of May 1, 2026
- Covers adult, child, and childbearing family nursing
- Professional development course in the final semester
- Completion track for licensed registered nurses
University of Nevada-Reno
#2Reno, NV · $16,000/yr (est. net price) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 96.7% (3-yr weighted avg)
Best for: Students seeking R1 research experience
The Orvis School of Nursing at the University of Nevada, Reno is the state's oldest nursing school, offering a traditional and 16-month accelerated BSN on campus plus a fully online RN to BSN path. Students train through comprehensive clinical placements and can use the resources of a Carnegie R1 research university. A rural health focus runs through the program, and the Lake Tahoe campus is adding an accelerated cohort for students who want to serve rural and mountain communities, with the first group scheduled for January 2027. UNR also partners with Renown Health, where eligible students can access tuition assistance of up to $38,000, and the school's overall graduation rate is 61%.
- CCNE accredited
- Accelerated 16-month option
- Two concentration options
- Comprehensive clinical placements
- Access to R1 research resources
- Rural healthcare focus available
- Nevada's first nursing school
- Three to five semesters to complete
- 30 credits granted for prior education
- Current RN license required
- Minimum 2.0 GPA
- Start terms in spring, summer, and fall
- Built for associate degree graduates
- Concurrent enrollment option available
- Nationally and regionally accredited
Nevada State University
#3Henderson, NV · ~$14,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 95.6% (3-yr weighted avg)
Best for: Working adults needing a part-time BSN
Nevada State University in Henderson builds its BSN on the caring science framework of Dr. Jean Watson, with full-time and part-time tracks that let students balance coursework with jobs and family. The CCNE-accredited program runs on campus with small classes and clinical experiences, and the university reports a 97.21% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate for 2024. Board data from early 2026 show 79 first-time candidates with 76 passing, a 96.20% first-time rate. The school's overall graduation rate is 34%.
- CCNE accredited
- 120 total credit hours
- Full-time track of five semesters
- Part-time track of ten semesters
- In-person classes with clinical experiences
- Grounded in Jean Watson's caring science
- Prepares graduates for the NCLEX-RN
- Small class sizes
Western Nevada College
#4Carson City, NV · $13,000/yr (est. net price) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 94.7% (3-yr weighted avg)
Western Nevada College serves Carson City and Fallon with an ACEN-accredited associate degree in nursing taught across both campuses. The six-semester program requires the TEAS entrance exam, current immunizations, and health insurance, and clinical placements require COVID-19 and flu vaccination. Program materials cite an 88% licensure pass rate and full job placement for graduates, though the state board's school-level first-time figures for recent years were not fully detailed in the reports reviewed. The school's overall graduation rate is 41%.
- ACEN accredited
- Six-semester program
- Classes at Carson City and Fallon campuses
- TEAS entrance exam required
- Health insurance required for nursing students
- Immunization documentation required
- COVID-19 and flu vaccination required for clinicals
- Program materials cite an 88% licensure pass rate
Truckee Meadows Community College
#5Reno, NV · $3,000 – $12,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 93.9% (3-yr weighted avg)
Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno offers a traditional associate degree in nursing alongside an online RN to BSN for working nurses. The 72-credit AS follows a six-semester plan with prerequisites, a 2.0 GPA minimum, and nursing courses taken in sequence, and it carries transfer agreements with UNR for graduates who want to continue. The RN to BSN program is accredited by ACEN and focuses on leadership, research, and evidence-based practice. The school's overall graduation rate is 32%.
- ACEN accredited
- 72 total credit hours
- Six-semester curriculum plan
- 2.0 GPA minimum
- Prerequisite courses required
- Nursing courses taken in sequence with a C or better
- Transfer agreements with UNR
- Background check required for clinical
- Accredited by ACEN
- Focused on leadership and research
- Open to nurses with a current RN license
- Prepares graduates for advanced nursing roles
- Built for working registered nurses
College of Southern Nevada
#6Las Vegas, NV · $4,000 – $13,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 94% (3-yr weighted avg)
The College of Southern Nevada runs the largest ADN pipeline in the Las Vegas Valley, a limited-entry, ACEN-accredited associate program with spring and fall starts across multiple campuses and total program tuition estimated near $10,579 for recent cohorts. Board data for 2025 show an 89.36% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate for the ADN cohort, and program materials cite roughly a 90% licensure pass rate with strong job placement. An LPN to RN bridge gives licensed practical nurses a shorter route to the same credential. The school's overall graduation rate is 19%.
- ACEN accredited and approved by the Nevada State Board of Nursing
- Entrance exam (TEAS) required
- Spring and fall start terms
- Limited entry with prerequisite courses
- CPR certification and health insurance required
- Immunization proof, physical exam, and background check required
- Multiple campus locations
- Program materials cite a 90% licensure pass rate
- Bridge pathway for licensed practical nurses
Carrington College-Reno
#7Reno, NV · $52,000/yr (est. net price) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 91.7% (2-yr weighted avg)
Carrington College's Reno campus offers a campus-based associate degree in nursing that can be finished in as few as 23 months, blending classroom work, simulation labs, and supervised clinical rotations in acute, long-term, and community settings. Coursework covers pharmacology, medical surgical nursing, maternal child nursing, and community and mental health nursing. The program is ACEN accredited and approved by the Nevada State Board of Nursing, and military medics may qualify for advanced placement. The school's overall graduation rate is 42%.
- ACEN accredited and state board approved
- Completable in as few as 23 months
- TEAS entrance exam required
- Simulation labs before live clinical rotations
- Clinical rotations in acute, long-term, and community settings
- Coursework includes pharmacology, medical surgical, and maternal child nursing
- Advanced placement option for military medics
- Financial aid and scholarships available
Roseman University of Health Sciences
#8Henderson, NV · NCLEX-RN pass rate 88% (3-yr weighted avg)
Roseman University of Health Sciences in Henderson is a private health sciences university whose accelerated BSN is aimed at students who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field. The hybrid program pairs online coursework with in-person labs and clinical experiences around the Las Vegas Valley, and Roseman students rotate through Southern Nevada cancer centers for specialty care exposure. An institution-wide graduation rate is not reported in the federal data used here, so its profile rests on its health professions focus and its higher private tuition. No verified school-level first-time NCLEX-RN rate for its ABSN cohorts appeared in the board reports reviewed.
- Second-degree accelerated track for career changers
Chamberlain University-Nevada
#9Las Vegas, NV · ~$27,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 88.5% (3-yr weighted avg)
Chamberlain University's Las Vegas campus offers a three-year hybrid BSN that mixes online coursework with in-person classes, labs, and clinical experiences, and the curriculum totals a minimum of 122 credit hours. Students can specialize in the third year through focused tracks in emergency, home health, nephrology, perioperative, or oncology nursing at no extra tuition, and the campus reports an 89% first-time NCLEX pass rate alongside a 96% overall pass rate. Beginning with the September 2026 session, eligible LPN and LVN students can receive nine prior-learning credits toward the BSN. The school's overall graduation rate is 20%.
- 122 total credit hours
- 56 general education credits plus 66 nursing credits
- Finish in as few as three years
- Full-time and part-time options
- Entrance exams accepted include HESI, ACT, SAT, and TEAS
- 2.4 GPA minimum
- Third-year specialty tracks in five nursing areas
- Campus materials cite an 89% first-time NCLEX pass rate
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
#10Las Vegas, NV · ~$10,000/yr (est.) · NCLEX-RN pass rate 86.4% (3-yr weighted avg)
UNLV's 16-month BSN is a full-time, patient-centered program that moves quickly through clinical judgment, leadership, and health technology coursework once pre-major requirements are complete. Students train through a dedicated education unit at Summerlin Hospital Medical Center, working alongside staff nurses on designated units, and practice high-fidelity scenarios at the Clinical Simulation Center of Las Vegas. Admission is competitive and calls for early planning with an advisor, with reported deadlines of March 1, July 1, and November 1 depending on the term. The school's overall graduation rate is 51%.
- CCNE accredited
- 16-month program
- Pre-major requirements must be completed before nursing courses
- Patient-centered care curriculum
- Prepares graduates for NCLEX-RN licensure
- Dedicated education unit at Summerlin Hospital Medical Center
- Clinical Simulation Center of Las Vegas for high-fidelity practice
- Practice settings include hospitals, public health, and home health
Nevada Nursing School Questions, Answered Fast
These quick answers cover what prospective and licensed nurses ask most about Nevada: how competitive admission is, how long the path to an RN license takes, and what out-of-state nurses need before they can work here.
Is it hard to get into nursing school in Las Vegas?
How long does it take to go from first prerequisite to a Nevada RN license?
Can a nurse licensed in another state start working in Nevada right away?
ADN vs. ASN vs. BSN in Nevada: Length, Cost, and Career Payoff
In Nevada, the ADN vs. ASN label usually signals the same outcome: both are associate-level prelicensure nursing routes, both meet Nevada Board of Nursing requirements, and both lead to the NCLEX-RN. They are not practical nursing programs.
The Associate Route: Faster and Lower-Cost
At College of Southern Nevada, the ADN/AAS pathway is built around 69 credits. Most students complete an associate nursing program in about two years of full-time study, though transfer credits and prerequisites can shift that timeline. Truckee Meadows Community College, Western Nevada College, and Great Basin College offer similar associate pathways, and all sit in the lower-cost public community college tier, a key consideration in how to afford nursing school.
The BSN Route: More Credits and Clinical Depth
A traditional prelicensure BSN at UNLV totals 122 credits, with 60 nursing credits and 20.5 clinical credits. University programs like UNLV, University of Nevada, Reno, and Nevada State University generally take about four years and cost more per credit than community college options. If you already have a bachelor's degree or substantial college coursework, UNR's accelerated BSN compresses the path to 16 months.1 A Lake Tahoe accelerated BSN cohort is set to start in spring 2027.2
Hiring Preferences and the Upgrade Path
Nevada hospitals, especially Magnet-designated facilities, often prefer or require a BSN for new graduate RN positions. Many will still hire ADN/ASN nurses, sometimes with a commitment to complete a BSN. The bridge is efficient: UNR's RN-to-BSN can be finished in as few as three semesters and awards 30 credits for prior prelicensure work through portfolio review; cost-conscious nurses can also compare top affordable online RN to BSN schools.3
The Takeaway
Choose the ADN/ASN route if you want to enter the workforce quickly and affordably at a community college, and you are comfortable completing a BSN later online or through a bridge program. Choose the BSN route if you want stronger first-job positioning at Magnet hospitals, more clinical hours, and a direct path to leadership or graduate study.
Nevada by City
Explore other Nevada related topics
Nursing Programs in Las Vegas vs. Reno, Carson City, and Rural Nevada
Nevada's nursing education capacity has tilted sharply toward Clark County, where population growth and hospital expansion have pulled both public and for-profit programs into the valley. Most of the schools covered here sit in Las Vegas or Henderson: College of Southern Nevada, UNLV, Nevada State University, Roseman University of Health Sciences, Chamberlain University, Galen College of Nursing, and Arizona College of Nursing. The north is thinner but not empty, with the University of Nevada, Reno, Truckee Meadows Community College, and Carrington College in Reno, plus Western Nevada College in Carson City, which also runs classes at its Fallon campus.
Choosing Among the Las Vegas Options
Southern Nevada readers comparing BSN vs ADN programs face a three-way trade-off. CSN's associate degree carries the lowest cost of entry in the valley and strong job placement, but admission is limited-entry and competitive. The public universities, UNLV and Nevada State, cost more but deliver a BSN, which many Las Vegas hospitals prefer for new hires. Private options move faster: Roseman offers an accelerated BSN for degree-holders, Chamberlain finishes in as few as three years across 122 credits, and Galen runs BSN, ADN, LPN/LVN-to-ADN bridge, and practical nursing tracks on campus, with the next start date set for October 26, 2026. You pay for speed and frequent start dates.
Rural Access and Flexible Schedules
Great Basin College anchors nursing education for Elko and the outlying counties, delivering theory through synchronized distance technology to sites in Elko, Ely, Pahrump, and Winnemucca. Its RN-to-BSN runs fully online with no added clinical requirement, which makes it workable for rural nurses already employed. For pre-licensure students juggling obligations, Nevada State University's part-time BSN track stretches across ten consecutive semesters, with classes typically two to three days a week, often Thursday through Saturday, in both day and evening slots. Chamberlain offers an evening and weekend format alongside hybrid coursework, and Arizona College blends in-person, online, and evening general education classes. Schedules shift, so confirm current formats directly with each school.
Verify the Campus Is Actually Here
Plenty of Out-of-State Online Nursing Programs market aggressively to Nevadans. Two checks settle it: confirm the program holds Nevada State Board of Nursing approval, and ask exactly where your clinical hours will be placed and who arranges them. Pre-licensure nursing cannot be completed fully online, even through Online BSN Pre-Licensure Schools, and a program that cannot name its Nevada clinical partners is not a Nevada program.