About Board approved prelicensure nursing programs

For information on the approval status of all Board approved nursing programs, see our table of Approved Registered Nurse & Practical Nurse Programs 02/08/2023 (PDF) | (DOC)

The Board of Registration in Nursing approves prelicensure nursing education programs. In order to be eligible for the NCLEX, you must have graduated from a Board approved nursing program.

• Learn about approval vs accreditation
• Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
• Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA)

The following reports provide information about how graduates of Board Approved pre-licensure nursing programs perform on the NCLEX -RN and NCLEX-PN.

Registered Nurse reports

• Percent of First-time RN Licensure Candidates Educated in Massachusetts Regardless of State of Initial Licensure (PDF) | (XLSX)

Practical Nurse reports

• Percent Passing of First-time Practical Nurse Candidates Educated in Massachusetts Regardless of State of Initial Licensure (PDF) | (XLSX)

NCLEX quarterly summary statistics

• 2022 NCLEX Quarterly Summary Statistics Report (PDF) | (XLSX)

The following reports provide information about Board approved pre-licensure nursing program statistics on admissions, graduates, and enrollment numbers.

• Student Data as Reported by Board Approved Nursing Education Programs 5 Year Variance (PDF) | (XLSX)
• 2017-2021 Admissions Numbers by Nursing Program (PDF) | (DOCX)