Nursing Graduates Again Top State Average in Professional Licensing Exams

January 21, 2025

The 2024 graduating class from Hudson Valley Community College's Nursing program again ranked among the best in the state. More than 92 percent of Hudson Valley graduates passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

Among 2024 graduates of Hudson Valley’s Nursing program, 83 of 90 students passed on their first attempt.

Hudson Valley graduates exceeded the New York State average pass rate for students enrolled in associate degree nursing programs, which was at 76 percent for the year.

The NCLEX-RN is a nationally-recognized examination required to become a registered nurse. State boards of nursing consider the results of the NCLEX when deciding whether or not to issue a nursing license.

"Our Nursing program has always had an outstanding reputation here in the Capital Region and around the state," said HVCC Officer in Charge Louis Coplin. "That reputation is again proven by our graduates’ consistently excellent performance on the national licensing exam."

This year’s exceptional pass rates continue a tradition of success for the program, which is well respected in the region and beyond. In 2023 and 2022, the pass rate for Hudson Valley Nursing graduates was 96 percent; 2021 was 89.2 percent; and in 2020, it was 92.7 percent. The program consistently ranks among the state’s best in preparing students for the rigorous NCLEX.

Over the past decade, there has been an ongoing effort to accommodate the large number of students applying to the college’s highly competitive A.A.S. Nursing program. A two-year Weekend Option, which started in 2022, is the latest of these efforts. A One-Year Advanced Option, which offered accelerated training for eligible students, began in May 2019. Both of these programs run alongside more traditional day and evening course options. Currently, the college has approximately 200 students studying in its associate degree nursing programs.