Florida ranked last in the nation for first-time pass rates on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in 2024, according to a report from the Florida Center for Nursing published on Monday.
Despite slight improvements over the previous year, the state continues to trail national averages for both registered nurses (NCLEX-RN) and practical nurses (NCLEX-PN), raising concerns about the stability of its nursing workforce.
The State of Nursing Education in Florida 2025 report found that Florida’s first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate was 84.9 percent, falling below the national average of 91.16 percent. The state ranked 50th out of 50 U.S. states and 52nd among all 55 jurisdictions that administer the exam. For NCLEX-PN test-takers, Florida’s first-time pass rate stood at 80.78 percent, compared to the national average of 88.38 percent, placing the state 50th among all states and 52nd out of 54 jurisdictions.
“For more than 10 years, Florida has performed below the national average,” the report states. “The gap between Florida’s rates and the national pass rates was widest in 2020, when Florida’s NCLEX-RN pass rate was 17.74 percentage points below the national pass rate. In 2024, the gap between Florida’s NCLEX-RN pass rate and the national pass rate decreased to 6.26 percentage points.”
The report attributes Florida’s low pass rates in part to the state’s large number of nursing program graduates. In 2024, Florida accounted for 19,623 NCLEX-RN test-takers, representing 8.73 percent of all first-time, U.S.-educated exam candidates. Additionally, 6.57 percent of the nation’s NCLEX-PN test-takers were from Florida. The state also had the highest number of NCLEX-RN test-takers of any jurisdiction.
A portion of Florida’s candidates came from nursing programs with special codes, indicating institutions that operate outside standard accreditation pathways. Among the 462 NCLEX-RN test-takers with special codes, the pass rate was 35.06 percent, well below both state and national averages. The report also noted that 433 test-takers in 2024 came from closed programs, a decline from 1,051 in the previous year.
While Florida’s nursing education programs have increased capacity, with more applicants being accepted and enrolled, concerns remain over program quality and student preparedness. Pre-licensure program retention rates improved for practical nursing (PN) and associate degree in nursing (ADN) programs, with PN retention rising from 72 percent to 73.85 percent and ADN retention increasing from 76.3 percent to 77.24 percent. Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs saw a slight decrease from 84.6 percent to 84.43 percent.
“Based on the findings of this report, it is recommended to continue analyzing nursing education program data to inform policy and strategic planning for Florida’s nursing workforce,” the report suggests. “The improvements displayed by the current data reflect ongoing efforts to enhance the quality and capacity of nursing education in Florida.”
The Florida Center for Nursing will present its findings at the FCN Education Symposium on March 7 in Gainesville.