NurseSavvy ranking · Florida · updated October 10, 2026

Best Nursing Schools in Florida (2026): The NurseSavvy Top 10

We ranked all 238 RN programs in Florida 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 Florida, and what graduates earn a year out.

Florida Gulf Coast 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 Florida’s 238 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 Florida

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
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort MyersBachelor's Degree in Nursing· Public
76score
A 98.9% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 91 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
98.9% of 91
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$12,568/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$70,964 1 yr out
2
Florida International University - BSN
MiamiBachelor's Degree in Nursing· Public
76score
A 93.6% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 204 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
93.6% of 204
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$9,288/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$78,671 1 yr out
3
University of Florida - BSN
GainesvilleBachelor's Degree in Nursing· Public
75score
A 93.1% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 274 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
93.1% of 274
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$6,541/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$73,711 1 yr out
4
University of Central Florida - BSN
OrlandoBachelor's Degree in Nursing· Public
74score
A 94.6% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 350 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
94.6% of 350
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$10,411/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$73,765 1 yr out
5
University of West Florida
PensacolaBachelor's Degree in Nursing· Public
74score
A 94.2% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 120 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
94.2% of 120
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$9,364/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$73,787 1 yr out
6
University of South Florida, College of Nursing
TampaBachelor's Degree in Nursing· Public
74score
A 94.2% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 447 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
94.2% of 447
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$9,812/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$72,879 1 yr out
7
Pasco-Hernando State College
New Port RicheyAssociate Degree in Nursing· Public
72score
A 95.9% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 122 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
95.9% of 122
Students who finish
69% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$5,203/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$67,069 1 yr out
Start to license: 66 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
8
Polk State College-ADN
Winter HavenAssociate Degree in Nursing· Public
72score
A 97.4% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 113 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
97.4% of 113
Students who finish
69% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$9,427/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$69,158 1 yr out
Start to license: 67 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
9
Florida Atlantic University - BSN
Boca RatonBachelor's Degree in Nursing· Public
70score
A 88.5% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 96 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
88.5% of 96
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$8,752/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$77,883 1 yr out
10
Seminole State College of Florida
Altamonte SpringsAssociate Degree in Nursing· Public
69score
A 94.7% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 226 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
94.7% of 226
Students who finish
68% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$8,970/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$70,052 1 yr out
Start to license: 64 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.

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 556 approved programs in Florida Full rankings table

The Florida 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: Jersey College (Associate Degree in Nursing), 100% first-time.
Most students finish: Pasco-Hernando State College (Associate Degree in Nursing), 69% on time.
Lowest average net price: North Florida College, $804/yr.
Highest graduates’ pay: Jacksonville University - BSN, $78,924 one year out.
Top ADN vs top BSN: Pasco-Hernando State College (#7 overall) and Florida Gulf Coast University (#1 overall).

How we ranked Florida’s nursing schools

NCLEX pass rate (33%). The 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rate from the Florida 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 Florida’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 Florida?

Under the NurseSavvy ranking, Florida Gulf Coast University (Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, Fort Myers) ranks #1 of 238 RN programs in Florida with a score of 76 out of 100 and a 98.9% 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 Florida 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 Florida 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.