NurseSavvy ranking · Connecticut · updated October 10, 2026
Best Nursing Schools in Connecticut (2026): The NurseSavvy Top 10
We ranked all 19 RN programs in Connecticut 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 Connecticut, and what graduates earn a year out.
Western Connecticut State University comes out on top. Here are the top 10, 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 Connecticut’s 19 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 10 nursing programs in Connecticut
Scores are out of 100 under the default NurseSavvy weights. A school with two programs (say, an ADN and a BSN) can appear twice.
- 177score
Western Connecticut State University
DanburyBACCALAUREATE NURSING EDUCATION (4 YEAR)· Public
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 100%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $17,604/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $86,600 1 yr out
- 267score
University of Connecticut
StorrsBACCALAUREATE NURSING EDUCATION (4 YEAR)· Public
A 95% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 95%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $25,097/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $84,969 1 yr out
- 365score
Southern Connecticut State University
New HavenBACCALAUREATE NURSING EDUCATION (4 YEAR)· Public
A 90% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 90%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $20,857/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $87,795 1 yr out
- 465score
CT State Community College, Naugatuck Valley
WaterburyASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING PROGRAM (2 YEAR)
A 97% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 97%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 565score
CT State Community College, Northwestern
WinstedASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING PROGRAM (2 YEAR)
A 97% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 97%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 664score
CT State Community College, Three Rivers
NorwichASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING PROGRAM (2 YEAR)
A 96% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 96%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 763score
University of Saint Joseph
West HartfordBACCALAUREATE NURSING EDUCATION (4 YEAR)· Private nonprofit
A 92% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 92%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $27,989/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $86,555 1 yr out
- 862score
CT State Community College, Capital Campus
HartfordASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING PROGRAM (2 YEAR)
A 95% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 95%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 962score
Sacred Heart University
FairfieldBACCALAUREATE NURSING EDUCATION (4 YEAR)· Private nonprofit
A 98% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 98%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $46,174/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $90,830 1 yr out
- 1062score
Central Connecticut State University
New BritainBACCALAUREATE NURSING EDUCATION (4 YEAR)· Public
A 87% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 87%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $16,857/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $83,012 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 Connecticut 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: Western Connecticut State University (BACCALAUREATE NURSING EDUCATION (4 YEAR)), 100% first-time.
- Lowest average net price: Central Connecticut State University, $16,857/yr.
- Highest graduates’ pay: University of Hartford, $106,348 one year out.
- Top ADN vs top BSN: CT State Community College, Naugatuck Valley (#4 overall) and Western Connecticut State University (#1 overall).
No Connecticut RN program in our data has published its own completion rate yet, so every program here scores the completion fill-in.
How we ranked Connecticut’s nursing schools
- NCLEX pass rate (33%). The 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rate from the Connecticut 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 Connecticut’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 Connecticut?
Under the NurseSavvy ranking, Western Connecticut State University (BACCALAUREATE NURSING EDUCATION (4 YEAR), Danbury) ranks #1 of 19 RN programs in Connecticut with a score of 77 out of 100 and a 100% 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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut 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 ConnecticutConnecticut in one page: 31 nursing schools and their NCLEX pass rates, RN pay (median 102,740), NP pay, and compact-license status — each with its source.
- Pay dataNurse practitioner salary in ConnecticutNurse practitioners in Connecticut earn a median of 138,470 a year (May 2025).
- Pay dataRN salary in ConnecticutRegistered nurses in Connecticut earn a median of 102,740 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.