NCCU Nursing Top HBCU NCLEX Performer in North Carolina

North Carolina Central University (NCCU)'s nursing program delivered an outstanding 96% passage rate on the NCLEX professional exam for calendar year 2025, besting all other nursing programs at historically Black universities in North Carolina. These results include a 100% passage rate for the December 2025 cohort of accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students, marking the second consecutive year of perfect results for this program. Graduates of a nursing program are not allowed to practice their profession until they pass the NCLEX.

The NCCU Department of Nursing is led by department chair Yolanda M. VanRiel, Ph.D., RN, who also serves as chair of the National League for Nursing, a professional organization that focuses on excellence in nursing education.

"These results affirm the strength of our faculty, the resilience of our students and the intentionality and consistency of our curriculum," said VanRiel. "A 96% NCLEX pass rate for the year 2025 reflects more than academic success, it signals readiness to lead, to serve, and to respond to the evolving health needs of society. NCCU Nursing graduates enter the workforce prepared to deliver high-quality, compassionate, and responsive care to all. Wherever they practice, they will be catalysts for improved health outcomes, trusted advocates for those most in need, and leaders who uplift the communities they serve."

NCCU and its partners have invested heavily in initiatives to improve preparation for the NCLEX, including providing tutors, test-taking strategy consultants and a diagnostic exam to signal the optimal conditions for each student to take the NCLEX.

In 2025, the nursing department expanded the immersive clinical experiences offered to students with the launch of an immersive interactive room that allows students to engage in virtual medical training experiences. NCCU's nursing program is the first at a university in North Carolina to adopt this technology. This new space builds on the introduction of virtual reality equipment (headgear and handheld controls) to the program in 2024.

"NCCU nursing graduates are entering clinical settings and the workforce with sharper judgment, greater confidence and readiness to practice. This readiness is what sets them apart and contributes to us being at the top," said Mohammad W. Ahmed, Ph.D., dean of the NCCU College of Health and Sciences.

NCCU continues to play a leadership role in developing the high-quality nursing professionals needed in North Carolina.