BALTIMORE – Undergraduates in Notre Dame of Maryland University’s School of Nursing earned a perfect 100 percent first-time pass rate on the National Council of Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) in 2024 – an outstanding achievement for the University’s nationally recognized Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs.
All 94 first-time test takers from Notre Dame passed the national licensure exam in 2024, distinguishing the University as a national leader in educating students for the nursing profession. With a first-time pass rate of 100 percent, the success of Notre Dame’s 2024 BSN graduates far exceeds the averages both nationally (91.92 percent for BSN graduates in 2024) and in the state of Maryland (90.57 percent in fiscal year 2024).
“I am extremely proud of the 2024 graduates, faculty, and staff of the School of Nursing for all their hard work in earning this impressive achievement,” said Dr. Kathleen Wisser, dean of the School of Nursing. “This accomplishment is the culmination of a concerted effort by the School of Nursing faculty and staff to prepare students for the Next Generation NCLEX-RN. Our nursing curriculum, rooted in a caring science, emphasizes active learning strategies that support sound clinical judgment, ensuring that our students are practice ready when they graduate. The School of Nursing faculty and staff demonstrate their commitment to student success every day.”
Notre Dame offers multiple pathways to earn a BSN degree: the entry-level Bachelor of Science in Nursing and the Accelerated 2nd Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN), which is offered both in person and with a hybrid format. Since the first cohort of ABSN students graduated in 2020, the number of Notre Dame students sitting for the NCLEX-RN exam has increased by 125 percent.
Passing the NCLEX-RN is required for nursing graduates to receive their license in the United States. The exam got a makeover in April 2023, which added new components to include real-world case studies to assess a candidate’s skills in critical thinking and decision-making. In response, the School of Nursing incorporated several Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) strategies into the curriculum to help prepare students for the NCLEX, including the RN Comprehensive Predictor which helps predict the likelihood that students will pass the exam on the first attempt. Staff and faculty also help students hone their critical thinking and clinical reasoning during simulations conducted in the University’s innovative on-campus Center for Caring with Technology.
Notre Dame’s nursing programs consistently rank among the best in the nation. Since 2022, U.S. News & World Report has annually listed the University’s undergraduate nursing program as one of the top undergraduate nursing programs in the country in the Best Colleges rankings. Notre Dame was the only Maryland university to be included in Money.com’s inaugural 2024 Best Nursing Master’s Program for Your Money rankings.
“I commend the School of Nursing students, faculty, and staff, as well as Dean Kathleen Wisser for her leadership, in achieving a 100 percent first-time NCLEX pass rate for 2024,” said Dr. Marylou Yam, president of Notre Dame of Maryland University. “Notre Dame’s exceptional nursing program continues to be one of the nation’s best because our faculty and staff are dedicated to preparing students to become outstanding and compassionate professional registered nurses.”
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
