NurseSavvy ranking · Delaware · updated October 10, 2026
Best Nursing Schools in Delaware (2026): The NurseSavvy Top 6
We ranked all 6 RN programs in Delaware 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 Delaware, and what graduates earn a year out.
University of Delaware comes out on top. Here are the top 6, 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 Delaware’s 6 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 6 nursing programs in Delaware
Scores are out of 100 under the default NurseSavvy weights. A school with two programs (say, an ADN and a BSN) can appear twice.
- 169score
University of Delaware
NewarkBachelor of Science· Public
A 93.7% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 93.7%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $17,799/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $81,286 1 yr out
- 269score
Delaware State University
DoverBachelor of Science· Public
A 90.9% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 90.9%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $13,910/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $84,049 1 yr out
- 358score
Delaware Technical Community College
DoverAssociate Degree· Public
A 91.4% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 91.4%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 454score
M. H. Rollins School of Nursing
LewesDiploma
A 88.9% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 88.9%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 554score
Delaware Technical Community College
NewarkAssociate Degree· Public
A 87.7% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 87.7%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 652score
Delaware Technical Community College
GeorgetownAssociate Degree· Public
A 85.7% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 85.7%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
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 Delaware 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: University of Delaware (Bachelor of Science), 93.7% first-time.
- Lowest average net price: Delaware State University, $13,910/yr.
- Highest graduates’ pay: Delaware State University, $84,049 one year out.
- Top ADN vs top BSN: Delaware Technical Community College (#3 overall) and University of Delaware (#1 overall).
No Delaware RN program in our data has published its own completion rate yet, so every program here scores the completion fill-in.
How we ranked Delaware’s nursing schools
- NCLEX pass rate (33%). The 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rate from the Delaware 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 Delaware’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 Delaware?
Under the NurseSavvy ranking, University of Delaware (Bachelor of Science, Newark) ranks #1 of 6 RN programs in Delaware with a score of 69 out of 100 and a 93.7% 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 Delaware 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 Delaware 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 DelawareDelaware in one page: 8 nursing schools and their NCLEX pass rates, RN pay (median 99,520), NP pay, and compact-license status — each with its source.
- Pay dataNurse practitioner salary in DelawareNurse practitioners in Delaware earn a median of 131,040 a year (May 2025).
- Pay dataRN salary in DelawareRegistered nurses in Delaware earn a median of 99,520 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.