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NurseSavvy ranking · Washington, D.C. · updated October 10, 2026

Best Nursing Schools in Washington, D.C. (2026): The NurseSavvy Top 7

We ranked all 7 RN programs in Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C., and what graduates earn a year out.

Georgetown University School of Nursing - BSN, CNL, APRN comes out on top. Here are the top 7, 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 Washington, D.C.’s 7 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 7 nursing programs in Washington, D.C.

Scores are out of 100 under the default NurseSavvy weights. A school with two programs (say, an ADN and a BSN) can appear twice.

  1. 1

    Georgetown University School of Nursing - BSN, CNL, APRN

    WashingtonBSN· Private nonprofit

    65score

    A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    100%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $40,815/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    $84,915 1 yr out
  2. 2

    The Catholic University of America School of Nursing - BSN, APRN

    WashingtonBSN· Private nonprofit

    57score

    A 88.8% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    88.8%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $29,561/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    $81,044 1 yr out
  3. 3

    Georgetown University School of Nursing - BSN, CNL, APRN

    WashingtonCNL· Private nonprofit

    56score

    A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    100%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $40,815/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    Not publishedfill-in
  4. 4

    Saint Michael College of Allied Health – ADN

    WashingtonADN· Private for-profit

    55score

    A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    100%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $38,751/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    Not publishedfill-in
  5. 5

    University of the District of Columbia*

    WashingtonADN

    48score

    A 82.1% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    82.1%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    Not publishedfill-in
    Early-career earnings
    Not publishedfill-in
  6. 6

    Trinity Washington University BSN

    WashingtonBSN· Private nonprofit

    47score

    A $9,302 average net price is low next to $102,540 median RN pay in Washington, D.C..

    NCLEX strength
    70.7%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $9,302/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    $79,349 1 yr out
  7. 7

    Howard University Division of Nursing - BSN, APRN

    WashingtonBSN· Private nonprofit

    47score

    A 86.8% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.

    NCLEX strength
    86.8%
    Students who finish
    Not publishedfill-in
    Cost-to-pay value
    $50,539/yr net price
    Early-career earnings
    $79,646 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.

All 10 approved programs in Washington, D.C. Full rankings table

The Washington, D.C. leaders on each measure

Different students weigh these differently — here is who leads on each one alone, among programs that publish it.

No Washington, D.C. RN program in our data has published its own completion rate yet, so every program here scores the completion fill-in.

How we ranked Washington, D.C.’s nursing schools

  • NCLEX pass rate (33%). The 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rate from the Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C.’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 Washington, D.C.?

Under the NurseSavvy ranking, Georgetown University School of Nursing - BSN, CNL, APRN (BSN, Washington) ranks #1 of 7 RN programs in Washington, D.C. with a score of 65 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 Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. 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.

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