Top Nursing Schools in New York: Comparing ADN and BSN Paths

Every New York RN, whether trained at a community college or a research university, must pass the same NCLEX-RN, and the schools ranked here are ordered primarily by first-time pass rate. Among the schools at the top, rates run from 94.3% to 99%, a narrow band.

That narrow band makes cost and degree level the real tension. CUNY and SUNY associate programs cost a fraction of private vs public nursing school tuition, but the New York BSN in 10 law requires a bachelor's degree within ten years of licensure, so an ADN is a starting point rather than a finish line.

Behind the List: Why NCLEX-RN Results Drive Our Order

A nursing school's core job is getting graduates licensed, so NCLEX pass rates by school carry roughly three quarters of the score on this list.

How the licensure score works

That component draws on first-time pass rates published by the New York State Education Department's Office of the Professions. It uses the three most recent years on the "New York State RN NCLEX Results: 2023-2027" page. Each program's rate is weighted by its number of first-time test-takers, so a cohort of a dozen students can't swing the result. For context, NYSED reports a statewide first-time rate of 85.0% for 2025 and 88.07% for 2026. The page labels its columns only by year, so treat those labels as NYSED's own convention rather than a precise definition of each cohort.

Tie-breakers

When programs land close together, nursing school accreditation requirements break the tie. A small weight also goes to completion and retention figures from College Scorecard.

Graduation rate and net price shown in the list are institution-wide, not specific to the nursing program. A college's overall numbers may differ from what nursing students experience.

What this order leaves out

Prestige, research funding, and U.S. News-style reputation are not measured. A highly regarded university can sit lower here if its nursing graduates pass less often on the first attempt, and a community college can outrank it. Use the order as a licensure-focused starting point, then weigh cost, location, and fit.

Top NCLEX-RN Outcomes: 10 Leading Nursing Schools in New York

These New York nursing schools are ordered by the NCLEX-RN first-time pass rates their graduates earn, with accreditation standing and completion outcomes breaking ties between programs that land close together. Each entry notes the degree awarded, the campus setting, and what the school reports about outcomes, so a two-year associate program in New York City and a four-year bachelor's degree upstate can be compared on the same terms.

Associate Degree and 2-Year Nursing Programs in NYC and Across the State

Starting at a community college saves real money now, but it also means planning a bachelor's degree later. Two-year nursing programs do exist in New York City, and the CUNY community colleges lead the associate-degree options; CUNY LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City has an AAS in Nursing that appears in the rankings. Upstate, SUNY and county community colleges such as Ulster, Erie and Cayuga offer the same associate route. Hospital-affiliated schools, including Arnot Ogden Medical Center in Elmira and Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse Hospital in East Syracuse, also award associate degrees in nursing.

The Cost Advantage

Average net prices at the community colleges here run roughly $5,000 to $8,700 (Ulster, LaGuardia, Erie, Cayuga). Farmingdale State's BSN comes in near $10,900, University at Buffalo near $21,000, and private options such as St. John Fisher and Hartwick land near $29,000 to $31,000. Two years at a community college trims the total bill considerably, showing how to afford nursing school.

ADN-to-BSN Pathways

CUNY separates dual/joint programs from articulation agreements, and neither is an unconditional admission guarantee. Examples include:

• BMCC: AAS-Nursing articulation with CUNY SPS, plus a separate dual/joint BS-Nursing pathway. BMCC also lists articulations with City Tech, SUNY Empire State and SUNY Delhi.
• Queensborough: A Nursing Dual/Joint with CUNY SPS, plus articulations with Hunter and York.
• Bronx, Hostos and Kingsborough: Articulations with CUNY SPS for the RN-to-BS.

CUNY SPS generally expects an associate degree in nursing and a 3.0 GPA. Applicants between 2.5 and 3.0 may be considered through Career Kickstart, limited to 6 first-semester credits. On the SUNY side, the Nursing Transfer Path guarantees at least 30 nursing credits transfer for associate graduates. That is a credit guarantee, not an admission one, and campus details vary.

Licensure and the BSN Clock

ADN graduates sit for the same NCLEX-RN as BSN graduates. Under New York's BSN in 10 law, though, associate-prepared nurses must plan to earn a bachelor's degree after licensure. The licensure section below covers the details.

How Do New York ADN Graduates Climb to a BSN?

New York's BSN in 10 law means an associate degree can start your RN career but cannot be your final nursing degree. Joint CUNY and SUNY dual-degree programs can compress steps 1 and 4 by coordinating ADN and BSN coursework from the start, typically about 4 years combined, though timing varies by school, transfer credits, and course sequencing.

Traditional BSN, RN-to-BSN, or Accelerated BSN: Which New York Path Fits You

If you are a high school graduate searching for the best nursing schools in New York for undergraduate study, the traditional BSN is your default route: it builds general education, science prerequisites, and clinical training into one degree that prepares you for the NCLEX-RN. Licensed RNs with an associate degree or diploma should look at RN-to-BSN completion programs, which are built around working schedules and often delivered online or part time. Career changers who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field can move fastest through an accelerated BSN, typically 12 to 16 months of full-time study.

CUNY vs. SUNY vs. Private Nursing Schools: Net Price, Debt, and Early Earnings

The schools below run from lowest to highest average annual net price, based on federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data (2024). Treat each figure as an approximate average cost after grants rather than a tuition quote. Every school in this cost-sorted view is a public CUNY or SUNY campus, so private nursing schools in NYC do not appear here; check their net price calculators directly. For the best CUNY for nursing, Hunter College pairs the lowest net price here (about $2,984) with a 91.9% NCLEX-RN pass rate and a four-year BSN. LaGuardia Community College posts the strongest CUNY pass rate (98.5%) for an ADN. CUNY campuses also enroll the highest Pell Grant shares (88% to 96%), a sign of deep reach among lower-income students. Program-level median debt and first-year earnings for these nursing programs are not yet available, so we compare cost, Pell share, and three-year NCLEX-RN results rather than presenting school-wide figures as nursing outcomes.

What New York Nursing Programs Expect From Applicants

New York has no statewide admission standard for nursing. Each college sets its own GPA floor, prerequisites, and entrance test, so check the current requirements of every program on your shortlist.

1. Minimum GPA (eligibility, not a guarantee)

   CUNY minimums for 2026 range from 2.5 at BMCC, City Tech, and the College of Staten Island to 2.75 (science prerequisites) at Lehman, 2.8 at Kingsborough, 3.0 at Hostos and York, and 3.2 cumulative at Hunter. Competitive applicants usually score well above these floors.
2. Science and general education prerequisites

   Expect anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, English composition, psychology, and math. Hunter requires a B or higher in science and math. Hostos and City Tech won't accept certain science courses older than five years.
3. Entrance exam: TEAS, HESI, or NLN NEX

   Staten Island, City Tech, Kingsborough, and Hostos use the TEAS. BMCC and Lehman use the HESI A2. Hunter and Queensborough use the NLN NEX. Retake limits are strict. Kingsborough allows only two TEAS attempts total, and BMCC accepts only its own HESI A2.
4. No TEAS or HESI? Check for another exam

   Hunter and Queensborough skip the TEAS and HESI but require the NLN NEX instead. We could not confirm an NYC nursing program that admits on GPA alone.
5. Selectivity

   Among the ranked schools, Farmingdale State College has the lowest overall admission rate (about 63%), followed by St. John Fisher and Arnot Ogden (about 66–67%). Seats in nursing programs themselves are often tighter than campus-wide rates suggest.
6. Health clearances and background checks

   Before clinicals, programs such as SUNY Ulster require a physical exam, mandatory immunizations, and a background check. Others, like Cayuga, require healthcare-provider CPR certification.

New York RN Licensure at a Glance

Your Questions About New York Nursing Schools, Answered

These answers cover the questions we hear most from future New York nurses, from CUNY options to the BSN-in-10 rule. Use them alongside the rankings and cost comparisons above to narrow your shortlist.

More New York Nursing Programs on Our Radar

The schools below extend our New York coverage beyond the ranked list, grouped by region so you can see what is available near home or work. Each entry notes the degree offered, the delivery format, and the campus location, along with an approximate net price where federal data is available. Net price figures describe the whole institution rather than the nursing program alone, and they shift with financial aid.

New York City

Long Island

Hudson Valley

Mohawk Valley

Southern Tier

Finger Lakes

Western New York

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