NurseSavvy ranking · Ohio · updated October 10, 2026

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

We ranked all 107 RN programs in Ohio 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 Ohio, and what graduates earn a year out.

Bowling Green State University Bachelor of Science in Nursing 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 Ohio’s 107 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 Ohio

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
Bowling Green State University Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Bowling GreenBaccalaureate Degree Programs
69score
A 98.8% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 80 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
98.8% of 80
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
Not publishedfill-in
Early-career earnings
Not publishedfill-in
2
Cedarville University School of Nursing
CedarvilleBaccalaureate Degree Programs· Private nonprofit
68score
A 98.8% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 82 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
98.8% of 82
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$24,468/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$69,047 1 yr out
3
Ohio University School of Nursing
AthensBaccalaureate Degree Programs· Public
67score
A 93.6% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 172 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
93.6% of 172
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$21,637/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$75,809 1 yr out
4
Muskingum University Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program
New ConcordBaccalaureate Degree Programs
66score
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 18 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
100% of 18
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
Not publishedfill-in
Early-career earnings
Not publishedfill-in
5
Mount Vernon Nazarene University Nursing Program
Mount VernonBaccalaureate Degree Programs· Private nonprofit
66score
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 15 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
100% of 15
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$22,421/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$69,303 1 yr out
6
The University of Toledo College of Nursing BSN Program
ToledoBaccalaureate Degree Programs· Public
66score
A 91% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 178 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
91% of 178
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$17,249/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$70,850 1 yr out
7
Kettering College
KetteringBaccalaureate Degree Programs· Private nonprofit
65score
A 90.1% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 91 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
90.1% of 91
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$21,650/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$79,505 1 yr out
8
Ashland University Dwight Schar College of Nursing and Health Sciences
MansfieldBaccalaureate Degree Programs
65score
A 95.5% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 44 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
95.5% of 44
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
Not publishedfill-in
Early-career earnings
Not publishedfill-in
9
Northwest State Community College Associate Degree Nursing Program
ArchboldAssociate Degree Programs
65score
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 37 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
100% of 37
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
Not publishedfill-in
Early-career earnings
Not publishedfill-in
10
Mercy College of Ohio St. Vincent School of Nursing
ToledoAssociate Degree Programs
64score
A 98.3% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 60 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
98.3% of 60
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.

All 203 approved programs in Ohio Full rankings table

The Ohio 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: Northwest State Community College Associate Degree Nursing Program (Associate Degree Programs), 100% first-time.
Lowest average net price: Marion Technical College Nursing Program, $7,417/yr.
Highest graduates’ pay: Arizona College of Nursing-Cleveland, $85,169 one year out.
Top ADN vs top BSN: Northwest State Community College Associate Degree Nursing Program (#9 overall) and Bowling Green State University Bachelor of Science in Nursing (#1 overall).

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

How we ranked Ohio’s nursing schools

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

Under the NurseSavvy ranking, Bowling Green State University Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Baccalaureate Degree Programs, Bowling Green) ranks #1 of 107 RN programs in Ohio with a score of 69 out of 100 and a 98.8% 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 Ohio 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 Ohio 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.