Nursing Schools in Arkansas: All 83 Approved Programs & NCLEX Pass Rates
Arkansas has 51 schools running 83 board-approved nursing programs — 42 RN-track and 40 PN/LPN-track. The average 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across Arkansas programs is 85.7%, 0.8 points below the national average of 86.5%. Every row below comes straight from the state board of nursing's published approved-program list — not self-reported school marketing.
Best Nursing Schools in Arkansas by NCLEX Pass Rate
Top RN programs ranked by 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, among programs with a published 2025 rate. Rates are one year of data — check multi-year trends before deciding.
- 1100%Russellville · Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program
- 2100%Ozark · Associate Degree Registered Nursing Program
- 3100%Searcy · Master's Entry into Practice (pre-licensure RN)
- 4100%Arkadelphia · Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program
- 5100%Magnolia · Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program
- 697.5%Fort Smith · Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program
- 796.5%Morrilton · Associate Degree Registered Nursing Program
- 895.8%Little Rock · Associate Degree Registered Nursing Program
- 993.8%Nashville · Associate Degree Registered Nursing Program
- 1093.6%Searcy · Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program
What Nursing School Costs in Arkansas — and What Graduates Earn
Tuition, admissions and graduate-earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, matched to 40 of 51 Arkansas schools. Earnings are program-level — the median for graduates of that school's own nursing program, not all its alumni.
Median federal loan debt for BSN graduates in Arkansas is $19,500 (11 programs). Sticker tuition is the whole school's published price, not the nursing program's alone, and it ignores aid — the number that decides whether a program pays off is what you actually pay plus the wages you give up while enrolled. Run your own numbers in the ROI calculator or read the full cost of becoming an RN.
Every Approved Nursing Program in Arkansas
Sort by any column, filter RN vs PN/LPN, or search a school or city.
83 of 83 programs · “—” = not published for that program · tuition is the school’s published in-state price for one year, before aid; grad pay is the median for that program’s own graduates, one year out
| Ar Rural Nursing Education Consortium | Nashville | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | — | — | 93.8% |
| Arkansas Health Care Association – Little Rock | Little Rock | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | — | — | — |
| Arkansas Northeastern College-Blytheville | Blytheville | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | — | — | 91.3% |
| Arkansas Northeastern College-Blytheville | Blytheville | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | — | — | 93.7% |
| Arkansas State University | State University | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $8,090 | $70,358 | 82.5% |
| Arkansas State University | State University | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $8,090 | $73,423 | 93.4% |
| Arkansas State University-Beebe | Searcy | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $3,336 | — | 87.5% |
| Arkansas State University-Beebe | Searcy | High School Practical Nursing ProgramPN | $3,336 | $44,546 | — |
| Arkansas State University-Beebe | Searcy | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $3,336 | $44,546 | 100% |
| Arkansas State University-Mountain Home | Mountain Home | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $3,312 | $62,518 | 77.5% |
| Arkansas State University-Mt. Home | Mt. Home | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | — | — | 100% |
| Arkansas State University-Newport | Newport | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $3,312 | $74,682 | 71.7% |
| Arkansas State University-Newport | Jonesboro | High School Practical Nursing ProgramPN | $3,312 | $39,979 | — |
| Arkansas State University-Newport | Newport | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $3,312 | $39,979 | 74.7% |
| Arkansas State University-Three Rivers | Malvern | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $3,788 | — | 78.8% |
| Arkansas State University-Three Rivers | Malvern | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $3,788 | — | 97.3% |
| Arkansas Tech University | Russellville | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $8,674 | $68,794 | 100% |
| Arkansas Tech University-Ozark | Ozark | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | — | — | 100% |
| Arkansas Tech University-Ozark | Ozark | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | — | — | 100% |
| Baptist Health College Little Rock | Little Rock | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $13,987 | $68,834 | 95.8% |
| Baptist Health College Little Rock | Little Rock | High School Practical Nursing ProgramPN | $13,987 | $48,332 | — |
| Baptist Health College Little Rock | Little Rock | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $13,987 | $48,332 | 96% |
| Black River Technical College | Pocahontas | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $4,776 | $65,660 | 88.8% |
| Black River Technical College | Pocahontas | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $4,776 | $30,491 | 100% |
| Harding University | Searcy | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $26,262 | $69,743 | 93.6% |
| Harding University | Searcy | Master's Entry into Practice (pre-licensure RN)RN | $26,262 | — | 100% |
| Henderson State University | Arkadelphia | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $8,244 | $72,326 | 73% |
| Jefferson Regional School of Nursing | Pine Bluff | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | — | $67,010 | 90.7% |
| John Brown University | Siloam Springs | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $31,756 | $67,343 | 91.3% |
| National Park College | Hot Springs | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $5,600 | $67,783 | 87.5% |
| National Park College | Hot Springs | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $5,600 | $42,364 | 95.8% |
| North Arkansas College of the University of Arkansas | Harrison | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $3,504 | $58,258 | 90.9% |
| North Arkansas College of the University of Arkansas | Harrison | High School Practical Nursing ProgramPN | $3,504 | $38,783 | — |
| North Arkansas College of the University of Arkansas | Leslie | High School Practical Nursing ProgramPN | $3,504 | $38,783 | — |
| North Arkansas College of the University of Arkansas | Harrison | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $3,504 | $38,783 | 100% |
| Northwest Arkansas Community College | Bentonville | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $3,342 | $67,192 | 85.1% |
| Northwest Arkansas Community College | Springdale | High School Practical Nursing ProgramPN | $3,342 | — | — |
| Northwest Arkansas Community College | Bentonville | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $3,342 | — | — |
| Northwest Technical Institute | Springdale | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $6,277 | $47,715 | 92.8% |
| Ouachita Baptist University | Arkadelphia | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $34,500 | — | 100% |
| Ozarka College | Melbourne | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $3,820 | $60,148 | 90.6% |
| Ozarka College | Melbourne | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $3,820 | $36,085 | 91% |
| Philander Smith University | Little Rock | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $13,014 | — | — |
| Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas | Helena-West Helena | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $3,380 | $78,213 | 76.4% |
| Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas | DeWitt | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $3,380 | — | 100% |
| South Arkansas College | El Dorado | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $3,324 | $59,370 | — |
| South Arkansas College | El Dorado | High School Practical Nursing ProgramPN | $3,324 | — | — |
| South Arkansas College | El Dorado | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $3,324 | — | 91.4% |
| Southeast Arkansas College | Pine Bluff | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $5,200 | $18,605 | 85.7% |
| Southeast Arkansas College – Pine Bluff | Pine Bluff | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | — | — | 14.8% |
| Southern Arkansas University | Magnolia | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $9,960 | $67,213 | 100% |
| Southern Arkansas University Tech | Camden | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $5,040 | — | 85.7% |
| Southern Arkansas University-Technical | Camden | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $5,040 | — | 88.8% |
| University of Ar Rich Mountain | Mena | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | — | — | — |
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $10,104 | $72,043 | 86.8% |
| University of Arkansas at Fort Smith | Fort Smith | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $7,334 | — | — |
| University of Arkansas at Fort Smith | Fort Smith | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $7,334 | $69,618 | 97.5% |
| University of Arkansas at Fort Smith | Fort Smith | High School Practical Nursing ProgramPN | $7,334 | — | — |
| University of Arkansas at Fort Smith | Fort Smith | Practical Nursing ProgramPN | $7,334 | — | 93.3% |
| University of Arkansas at Hope-Texarkana | Hope | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $3,880 | — | 100% |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Little Rock | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $9,748 | $66,420 | 89.2% |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Little Rock | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program | $9,748 | — | — |
| University of Arkansas at Monticello | Monticello | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $9,292 | — | 85.7% |
| University of Arkansas at Monticello | Monticello | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $9,292 | $63,323 | 90% |
| University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology – Crossett | Crossett | High School Practical Nursing ProgramPN | — | — | — |
| University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology – Crossett | Crossett | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | — | — | 85.7% |
| University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology – McGehee | McGehee | High School Practical Nursing ProgramPN | — | — | — |
| University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology – McGehee | McGehee | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | — | — | 100% |
| University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | Pine Bluff | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $9,412 | $67,231 | 53.3% |
| University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville | Batesville | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $3,630 | $64,187 | 85% |
| University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton | Morrilton | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $3,648 | $67,748 | 96.5% |
| University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville | Batesville | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $3,630 | — | 100% |
| University of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton | Morrilton | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $3,648 | — | 100% |
| University of Arkansas Cossatot | DeQueen | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | — | — | 96% |
| University of Arkansas East Arkansas Community College | Forrest City | Associate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $3,300 | $64,932 | 69.2% |
| University of Arkansas East Arkansas Community College | Forrest City | High School Practical Nursing ProgramPN | $3,300 | — | — |
| University of Arkansas East Arkansas Community College | Forrest City | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $3,300 | — | 90% |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | Little Rock | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | — | $67,337 | 89.4% |
| UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES (Accelerated Pre-licensure BSN Program) | Fayetteville | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | — | — | — |
| University of Arkansas Rich Mountain | Mena | High School Practical Nursing ProgramPN | $3,696 | $36,179 | — |
| University of Arkansas Rich Mountain | Mena | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $3,696 | $36,179 | 86.6% |
| University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical | North Little Rock | PRACTICAL NURSE PROGRAMPN | $6,300 | — | 79.4% |
| University of Central Arkansas | Conway | Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing ProgramRN | $10,523 | $70,636 | 88.7% |
Whichever school you choose, the NCLEX is the finish line
The pass rates above are made by students, not buildings. Students who do well start NCLEX-style practice in their first semester — studying for class exams and the boards at the same time. NurseSavvy turns your own course materials into matched NCLEX practice questions from day one — free to try, then $19/mo.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best nursing school in Arkansas by NCLEX pass rate?
5 RN programs in Arkansas tied for the highest 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate at 100%, including Arkansas Tech University in Russellville — see the full ranked list above, among programs with a published 2025 rate on the state board's list.
How many nursing schools are in Arkansas?
Arkansas has 51 schools offering 83 board-approved nursing programs: 42 RN-track (ADN/BSN and similar) and 40 PN/LPN-track programs, per the state board of nursing's current approved-program list.
What is the average NCLEX pass rate in Arkansas?
Across Arkansas RN programs with a published 2025 rate, the average first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is 85.7% — 0.8 points below the national average of 86.5%.
How much does nursing school cost in Arkansas?
Across Arkansas nursing schools we could match to U.S. Department of Education data, median published in-state tuition and fees run $4,776 a year at public schools (33 schools) and $26,262 at private nonprofits (5 schools). That is the whole institution's sticker price per year, before aid — an ADN takes about two years and a BSN four, and most students pay less than sticker. Per-school figures are in the table above.
What do nursing graduates in Arkansas earn?
Federal earnings data tracks graduates of each specific nursing program. In Arkansas, median earnings one year after finishing are $67,010 for ADN graduates (19 programs) and $69,618 for BSN graduates (13 programs). These are medians of program-level medians and the federal figures lag by a few years, so treat them as a floor for comparison between schools rather than a salary prediction.
What does a first-time NCLEX pass rate tell me about a school?
It is the share of a program’s graduates who passed the NCLEX on their first attempt — the single most comparable public outcome number nursing programs report. Boards of nursing track it for program approval, and consistently low rates can put a program on conditional status. Compare it alongside cost, location, and program length, not in isolation.
About this data
Program list and 2025 first-time NCLEX pass rates are taken directly from the Arkansas board of nursing's published approved-program materials. “—” means the board did not publish a 2025 rate for that program (new programs, small cohorts, or PN lists without rate tables). Pass rates refresh annually; this page is rebuilt from the board lists when they update.
Tuition, admission rates, graduate earnings and debt come from the U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts, June 10 2026 data release), matched by school name and city to 40 of 51 Arkansas schools. Schools the federal data does not cover — hospital-based programs and schools outside federal student-aid reporting — show “—” rather than an estimate. Tuition and admission rates describe the whole institution; earnings and debt are specific to its nursing programs, by credential, and lag the current graduating class by several years.
- collegescorecard.ed.gov — Most Recent Cohorts, June 10 2026 data release
- healthy.arkansas.gov — list: Roster: live page 2026-07-13; rates: ASBN 5-yr report '2025' column (PDF rev 8/18/2025 per filename, created 7/31/2025 — exact 2025 period not stated)
- healthy.arkansas.gov — list: ASBN 5-yr pass-rate report, '2025' column (PDF rev 8/18/2025 per filename, created 7/31/2025)
- healthy.arkansas.gov — list: Roster: live page 2026-07-13; rates: ASBN 5-yr report '2025' column (PDF rev 8/18/2025 per filename, created 7/31/2025 — exact 2025 period not stated)
- healthy.arkansas.gov — list: ASBN 5-yr pass-rate report, '2025' column (PDF rev 8/18/2025 per filename, created 7/31/2025)
- healthy.arkansas.gov — list: Roster: live page 2026-07-13; rates: ASBN 5-yr report '2025' column (PDF rev 8/18/2025 per filename, created 7/31/2025 — exact 2025 period not stated)
- healthy.arkansas.gov — list: Roster: live page 2026-07-13; rates: ASBN 5-yr report '2025' column (PDF rev 8/18/2025 per filename, created 7/31/2025 — exact 2025 period not stated)
- healthy.arkansas.gov — list: Live page 2026-07-13