2024 Rankings: The 40 Best Nursing Schools in New Jersey

The Rutgers School of Nursing is New Jersey’s largest institution of nursing education, with more than 1,600 students across campus sites in Newark, New Brunswick, and Blackwood. Undergraduates may select from three BSN pathways (traditional, accelerated second degree, RN-to-BSN) as well as a post-baccalaureate school nurse certificate. The school graduates more than 300 students annually from its prelicensure BSN programs, maintaining a superb 93% first-time NCLEX pass rate over the past three years. At the graduate level, Rutgers offers an MSN with informatics and leadership concentrations, seven post-master’s certificates, eleven areas of DNP specialization, and a PhD program with post-baccalaureate and post-master’s entry points.

The Department of Nursing at The College of New Jersey has earned an NLN Center of Excellence designation for enhancing student learning and professional development. BSN students have achieved an impressive 93% first-time NCLEX pass rate over the past eight years. Moreover, 100% of BSN graduates that seek fulltime employment are placed within six months. Class sizes are small: the typical nursing class has 15 to 30 students, and the school limits clinical groups to a maximum of eight students. TCNJ also offers MSN programs for aspiring adult, family, and neonatal nurse practitioners; clinical nurse leaders; and school nurses.

Seton Hall University’s College of Nursing was established in 1937 as New Jersey’s first college of nursing. The university continues to lead in nursing scholarship, teaching, and practice. Indeed, Seton Hall has educated approximately one third of all New Jersey nurses and is one of the few universities in the nation approved for Army ROTC nursing candidates. In addition to New Jersey’s first BSN program, the college boasts one of just two nursing PhD programs in the state. Seton Hall typically graduates 80-120 students annually from its two BSN tracks (traditional undergraduate and second degree accelerated), with a stellar 94% first-time NCLEX pass rate over the past three years. The college also offers an RN-to-MSN bridge, four online MSN specializations, three nurse practitioner post-master’s certificates, and a post-master’s DNP with both direct care (advanced practice) and indirect care (administration and leadership) options.

The Henry P. Becton School of Nursing & Allied Health at Fairleigh Dickinson University has educated nursing students since 1952. The school offers programs at both the Metropolitan and Florham campuses of FDU. The Metropolitan campus houses a full breadth of nursing programs including three BSN pathways, an MSN degree with five clinical tracks and three non-clinical tracks, five post-master’s certificates, and a DNP program with several entry points. The Florham campus focuses its nursing education on a traditional BSN degree and an MSN degree with two nurse practitioner specializations (adult gerontology, family psychiatric / mental health). Over the past five years, the university’s BSN graduates have achieved a 94% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX licensure exam, including a perfect 100% pass rate the past two years.

Founded as Immaculate Conception Normal School almost a century ago, Felician University is one of 24 Franciscan universities in the United States and the only one in New Jersey. The School of Nursing offers three BSN pathways (traditional, accelerated second degree, RN-to-BSN), three MSN specializations (adult-gerontology nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, nursing administration), an RN-to-MSN online fast track, and a post-master’s DNP program. Graduate certificates are also available in all three MSN specialties. Felician students learn and work in the Barbara J. Toscano Nursing Resource and Simulation Center, a state-of-the-art skills lab where they can apply their nursing skills in a realistic healthcare environment. Since 2013, Felician’s BSN graduates have achieved an excellent 89% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX national licensure exam.

Stockton University’s School of Health Sciences offers five nursing programs: a traditional BSN, an accelerated second degree BSN, an RN-to-BSN completion program, an MSN for aspiring adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioners (AGPCNPs), and post-master’s certificates for both AGPCNPs and FNPs. In recent years, 94% of the school’s MSN students and 100% of its FNP students have passed their respective national certification exams. The undergraduate program demonstrates similar excellence: prelicensure BSN students have passed the NCLEX exam at an 89% rate over the past eight years. Stockton University has an on-campus simulation lab that mimics real-life experiences, with actors playing patients.

Saint Peter’s University is one of twenty-eight Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, and the only such institution in New Jersey. Founded as a liberal arts college for men in 1872, the school now serves a coed population of 3,500 students across more than fifty programs. The School of Nursing offers several routes to a BSN degree including a traditional four-year program, an accelerated second bachelor’s degree, and an RN-to-BSN pathway offered both on-campus and online. Approximately a dozen prelicensure BSN students graduate each spring. These students have scored an 89% NCLEX pass rate over the past six years, including a perfect 100% pass rate in 2018. At the graduate level, the school offers an MSN degree for aspiring adult-gerontology nurse practitioners, a post-master’s certificate in the same field, and a part-time face-to-face DNP program that can be completed in 5.5 years.

In partnership with Union County College, Trinitas School of Nursing conducts a cooperative nursing program that awards graduates both a TSON nursing diploma and a UCC associate degree. TSON has been named an NLN Center of Excellence four consecutive times, and the school’s curriculum places special emphasis on addressing twenty-first-century healthcare challenges. Approximately 130-160 students complete the diploma program each year, and these graduates have posted a first-time NCLEX pass rate of 85% over the past eight years. TSON graduates can pursue a bachelor’s degree from Saint Elizabeth University through its RN-to-BSN program at the UCC campus. In fact, SEU also conducts a master of science in nursing program at the UCC site, enhancing the local mobility options for TSON graduates.

In 2015, Chamberlain University announced its newest campus in North Brunswick. Nursing students at this location may earn a bachelor’s degree in just three years of fulltime study, saving them time and tuition money versus the traditional four-year pathway. The university’s 122-credit-hour BSN program combines conceptual learning with hands-on experience in the Chamberlain SIMCARE Center. Students also work alongside faculty, mentors, peers, and experienced nurses in a variety of clinical settings. Since the program’s inception, graduates from the North Brunswick campus have scored an 84% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN national licensure examination.

Through a cooperative program with nearby Union County College, JFK Muhlenberg Snyder School of Nursing offers four different tracks toward registered nursing licensure. The generic program awards both a nursing diploma and an AS degree in just five semesters of study. Accelerated options are available for existing LPNs (LPN-to-RN transition track) and bachelor’s degree-holders in non-nursing fields (accelerated track). Finally, individuals seeking a direct path to a BSN degree may complete a collaborative program between Snyder, UCC, and Kean University. Across all tracks, Snyder School of Nursing graduates have scored an 87% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX licensure examination over the past eight years.

Established in 1939 as an institution of higher learning for women, Caldwell was the first college in New Jersey to award the bachelor of fine arts (BFA) degree. Today, the university conducts more than one hundred programs across twenty academic departments and schools. The School of Nursing and Public Health offers a BSN program that incorporates a strong liberal arts foundation, nursing coursework, and clinical experiences in a variety of healthcare agencies and community centers throughout the region. Simulation activities are integrated throughout the program to further develop students’ clinical skills. Over the past three years, BSN graduates have averaged a 90% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN licensure examination, including a stellar 96% pass rate in 2018. Caldwell University also offers an RN-to-BSN pathway and a new MSN degree in population health, both conducted fully online.

Our Lady of Lourdes School of Nursing is the only source of Catholic nursing education in southern New Jersey. Since its founding in the early 1960s, the school’s three-year diploma program has added almost 2,000 new members to the nursing workforce. Through a cooperative effort with Camden County College, School of Nursing students can simultaneously earn a nursing diploma from Our Lady of Lourdes and an associate of science degree from CCC. Additionally, the school’s “Finish in Four” collaboration with Thomas Edison State University enables graduates to complete a BSN degree in just one additional year of study. Our Lady of Lourdes has achieved a 95% NCLEX pass rate since 2013, including a stellar 98.6% pass rate for the class of 2018.

Georgian Court University was founded in 1908 by the Sisters of Mercy. The university’s campus is both a National Arboretum Site and a National Historic Site. The Georgian Court-Hackensack Meridian Health School of Nursing offers a selective four-year BSN program that admits just forty students per semester. Students in the program benefit from the unique and innovative partnership between the university and Hackensack Meridian Health, which provides access to Magnet-certified clinical sites, masters- or doctorally-prepared faculty, and learning labs with state-of-the-art technology. Over the past eight years, BSN graduates have averaged an 81% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX licensure exam.

St. Francis Medical Center School of Nursing has educated aspiring nurses for over 110 years. The school’s long-standing diploma program was the first in the Trenton area accredited by the National League for Nursing. Today, under a cooperative agreement with Mercer County Community College, St. Francis graduates earn both an AS degree from MCCC and a nursing diploma from the School of Nursing. While St. Francis Medical Center is the primary clinical facility, the school also partners with a number of local healthcare providers, including St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and University Medical Center at Princeton. The School of Nursing graduates approximately 30-40 new nurses each year, and they have averaged a 91% NCLEX pass rate over the past eight years. These same cohorts also reported an 82% graduation rate and a 94% employment rate in the field.

County College of Morris offers more than 45 associate degrees along with a full slate of certificate and workforce development programs. The Department of Nursing conducts an ADN program that incorporates a mix of general education and nursing coursework. Graduates are prepared for a diverse range of practice settings including medical-surgical nursing, critical care, emergency care, obstetrics, pediatrics, and psychiatric-mental health. Credits from the program are also readily transferable toward a four-year BSN at many state and private colleges. The ADN program typically graduates 100-120 new nurses annually. Since 2013, these students have achieved a solid 90% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN licensure exam.

Warren County Community College has provided affordable education for more than forty years. Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education since 1992, WCCC is one of the area’s top schools for transfer programs in the liberal arts and sciences. Credits are 100% transferrable to four-year institutions within New Jersey. WCCC’s nursing program is fully approved by the New Jersey Board of Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. The 60-credit-hour curriculum prepares students to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination, assume entry-level positions in nursing, and/or transfer into a BSN program at a four-year college. The ADN program graduates a select cohort of approximately 15 students each year. These graduates have averaged a strong 92% first-time NCLEX pass rate over the past eight years.

Eastern International College has campuses in Jersey City and Belleville. Prelicensure nursing students can pursue an ADN or BSN degree at either campus. The college also offers an online RN-to-BSN degree completion program for ADN-prepared nurses with an active, unencumbered license. The ADN program is a 70-credit-hour, two-year course of study, while the prelicensure BSN program is a 120-credit-hour, four-year course of study. Graduates of either program are prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination. Eastern International College students hold a solid 82% first-time NCLEX pass rate since the launch of the school’s nursing programs.

Raritan Valley Community College opened in 1968 as Somerset County College. When classes first began, the school had 229 students. Today, RVCC serves nearly 8,000 students enrolled in more than ninety associate degree and certificate programs. It was also New Jersey’s first community college to establish a selective Honors College. The college’s competitive nursing program boasts an 87% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate over the past eight years. The rigorous ADN curriculum allows students to tailor their studies to a specific area such as cancer, elder care, emergency room triage, or pediatrics. Upon completion of the program, ADN graduates are prepared for immediate entry-level employment in the field or to seamlessly continue their education and earn a BSN degree at Kean University.

Bloomfield College is a workforce-ready institution that provides more than fifty degree options across seven academic divisions. The Frances M. McLaughlin Division of Nursing offers both a traditional prelicensure BSN program and an RN-to-BSN degree completion pathway. Prelicensure students have enjoyed an impressive 93% first-time NCLEX pass rate over the past eight years. Nursing students engage in intensive coursework, simulation lab experiences, and clinical rotations at local hospitals and healthcare centers. The curriculum deeply explores the topics of nursing research, evidence-based practice, clinical judgment, nursing skills, therapeutic communication, teamwork, and collaboration. The traditional BSN is a four-year program, while the RN-to-BSN pathway is an accelerated program that requires just 15-18 months to complete. The Bloomfield College nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Eastwick College is the first nationally accredited school approved for prelicensure instruction by the New Jersey Board of Nursing. It is also the state’s first private college approved for candidacy by the National League for Nursing. Eastwick offers a traditional 18-month LPN diploma program at its Hackensack and Ramsey campuses, with an emphasis on vital skills like physical assessment, wound care, intravenous therapy, and medication administration. The Hackensack campus also features a bilingual LPN track with 600 hours of English as a second language (ESL) training, to ensure that students master the necessary medical terminology. In total, Eastwick College graduates approximately forty new LPNs annually. Over the past eight years, the school has maintained strong NCLEX pass rates across all campuses and programs, including Hackensack (88%), Ramsey (88%), and bilingual (89%).