NurseSavvy ranking · New Hampshire · updated October 10, 2026
Best Nursing Schools in New Hampshire (2026): The NurseSavvy Top 10
We ranked all 17 RN programs in New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire, and what graduates earn a year out.
Plymouth 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 New Hampshire’s 17 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 New Hampshire
Scores are out of 100 under the default NurseSavvy weights. A school with two programs (say, an ADN and a BSN) can appear twice.
- 173score
Plymouth State University
PlymouthBaccalaureate (Entry Level Programs Registered Nurse)· 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
- $19,216/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $72,906 1 yr out
- 272score
MCPHS University
ManchesterBaccalaureate (Entry Level Programs Registered Nurse)
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 100%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 368score
Keene State College
KeeneBaccalaureate (Entry Level Programs Registered Nurse)· 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
- $17,887/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $74,915 1 yr out
- 468score
White Mountain Community College
BerlinAssociate Degree (Entry Level Programs Registered Nurse)
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 100%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 568score
Colby-Sawyer College
New LondonBaccalaureate (Entry Level Programs Registered Nurse)· Private nonprofit
A 97.7% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 97.7%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $27,431/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $78,856 1 yr out
- 667score
University of New Hampshire (UNH)
DurhamBaccalaureate (Entry Level Programs Registered Nurse)
A 96.2% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 96.2%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 767score
Lakes Region Community College
LaconiaAssociate Degree (Entry Level Programs Registered Nurse)· 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
- $13,124/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 867score
Manchester Community College
ManchesterAssociate Degree (Entry Level Programs Registered Nurse)· 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
- $14,143/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 966score
NHTI, Concord's Community College
ConcordAssociate Degree (Entry Level Programs Registered Nurse)· 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
- $18,011/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $74,512 1 yr out
- 1065score
River Valley Community College
ClaremontAssociate Degree (Entry Level Programs Registered Nurse)· Public
A 97.9% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 97.9%
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $14,804/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $75,282 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 New Hampshire 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: Plymouth State University (Baccalaureate (Entry Level Programs Registered Nurse)), 100% first-time.
- Lowest average net price: Lakes Region Community College, $13,124/yr.
- Highest graduates’ pay: Saint Anselm College, $79,609 one year out.
- Top ADN vs top BSN: White Mountain Community College (#4 overall) and Plymouth State University (#1 overall).
No New Hampshire RN program in our data has published its own completion rate yet, so every program here scores the completion fill-in.
How we ranked New Hampshire’s nursing schools
- NCLEX pass rate (33%). The 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rate from the New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire’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 New Hampshire?
Under the NurseSavvy ranking, Plymouth State University (Baccalaureate (Entry Level Programs Registered Nurse), Plymouth) ranks #1 of 17 RN programs in New Hampshire with a score of 73 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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire 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 New HampshireNew Hampshire in one page: 18 nursing schools and their NCLEX pass rates, RN pay (median 99,700), NP pay, and compact-license status — each with its source.
- Pay dataNurse practitioner salary in New HampshireNurse practitioners in New Hampshire earn a median of 137,550 a year (May 2025).
- Pay dataRN salary in New HampshireRegistered nurses in New Hampshire earn a median of 99,700 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.