NurseSavvy ranking · Alaska · updated October 10, 2026
Best Nursing Schools in Alaska (2026): The NurseSavvy Top 4
We ranked all 4 RN programs in Alaska that publish a first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, on the four things that decide whether a program gets you to a nursing license you can afford: passing the NCLEX, actually finishing, the cost next to what nurses earn in Alaska, and what graduates earn a year out.
Alaska Pacific University comes out on top. Here are the top 4, with every number’s source — and you can re-rank them by what matters to you.
No school can pay for placement. Public data only — see the full methodology.
Rank it your way
Rank Alaska’s 4 RN programs on what matters to you
NCLEX pass rate, students who finish, cost vs nurse pay, grads’ early pay — compare in-state, by region, or nationwide.
The top 4 nursing programs in Alaska
Scores are out of 100 under the default NurseSavvy weights. A school with two programs (say, an ADN and a BSN) can appear twice.
- 159score
Alaska Pacific University
RN (ADN & RN to BSN)· Private nonprofit
A 86% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 86%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $21,616/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 253score
University of Alaska Anchorage School of Nursing
AnchorageRN (BS)· Public
A $15,301 average net price is low next to $109,480 median RN pay in Alaska.
- NCLEX strength
- 78%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $15,301/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $86,823 1 yr out
- 337score
University of Alaska Anchorage School of Nursing
AnchorageRN (AAS)· Public
A $15,301 average net price is low next to $109,480 median RN pay in Alaska.
- NCLEX strength
- 73%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $15,301/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 432score
Charter College
RN (AAS)· Private for-profit
A $34,860 average net price is low next to $109,480 median RN pay in Alaska.
- NCLEX strength
- 75%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $34,860/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $83,107 1 yr out
Fill-in: a figure the program hasn’t published is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs that publish it (same degree type) — not its own number.
The Alaska leaders on each measure
Different students weigh these differently — here is who leads on each one alone, among programs that publish it.
- Highest NCLEX pass rate: Alaska Pacific University (RN (ADN & RN to BSN)), 86% first-time.
- Lowest average net price: University of Alaska Anchorage School of Nursing, $15,301/yr.
- Highest graduates’ pay: University of Alaska Anchorage School of Nursing, $86,823 one year out.
- Top ADN vs top BSN: University of Alaska Anchorage School of Nursing (#3 overall) and Alaska Pacific University (#1 overall).
No Alaska RN program in our data has published its own completion rate yet, so every program here scores the completion fill-in.
How we ranked Alaska’s nursing schools
- NCLEX pass rate (33%). The 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rate from the Alaska board of nursing, steadied for small cohorts.
- Students who finish (33%). The program’s own on-time completion rate, where a board or the program publishes it.
- Cost vs nurse pay (20%). Average net price per year next to Alaska’s median RN pay (College Scorecard + BLS).
- Graduates’ early pay (14%). What the program’s nursing graduates earn one year out, next to the state’s RN median.
A missing figure is a labeled 33rd-percentile fill-in, never a guess. Programs without a published NCLEX rate, and direct-entry master’s programs, are not ranked. Every formula and source →
Frequently asked questions
What is the best nursing school in Alaska?
Under the NurseSavvy ranking, Alaska Pacific University (RN (ADN & RN to BSN)) ranks #1 of 4 RN programs in Alaska with a score of 59 out of 100 and a 86% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate. "Best" depends on what you weigh most — re-rank the list on this page by your own priorities.
How did NurseSavvy rank Alaska nursing schools?
Every RN program with a published 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is scored 0–100 on four public measures: NCLEX pass rate (33%), students who finish (33%), cost next to local RN pay (20%), and graduates’ pay one year out (14%). Pass rates come from the Alaska board of nursing; cost and pay from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
What does “fill-in” mean on this list?
When a program has not published a figure, we do not guess it. It is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs (same degree type) that do publish it — below typical — and labeled “fill-in” wherever it appears. Publishing its real number can only help a program that performs well.
Can a school pay to rank higher?
No. Schools cannot pay, partner, sponsor, or advertise their way to a better rank. Every input is public data, and the same formula applies to every program.
Keep going
- ReferenceHow NurseSavvy ranks nursing schoolsHow NurseSavvy ranks nursing programs: every formula, data source, and refresh rule, plus why no school can pay for placement.
- State guideNursing in AlaskaAlaska in one page: 4 nursing schools and their NCLEX pass rates, RN pay (median 109,480), NP pay, and compact-license status — each with its source.
- Pay dataNurse practitioner salary in AlaskaNurse practitioners in Alaska earn a median of 155,170 a year (May 2025).
- Pay dataRN salary in AlaskaRegistered nurses in Alaska earn a median of 109,480 a year (May 2025).
- GuideNursing School Dropout Rates: What a 100% NCLEX Pass Rate Can HideHow many nursing students actually finish, why a high NCLEX pass rate can hide high attrition, where programs publish completion rates, and the start-to-license number to ask every school for.
- FinderNursing school rankings you controlRank nursing programs by what matters to you — pass rate, students who finish, cost, and graduate earnings.