Bradford, Titusville nursing programs get high ranking

The nursing programs at Pitt–Bradford and Pitt–Titusville have been ranked fifth and seventh in the state among associate degree programs by the RN Careers website.

For its fourth annual rankings, RN Careers looked at 1,949 nursing programs nationwide and ranked them on metrics such as first-time NCLEX-RN passing rates, accreditation and more. The NCLEX-RN is the certifying exam for registered nurses. In Pennsylvania, it ranked the 24 colleges that offer an associate degree program.

Rankings also were based on the three-year average of NCLEX-RN pass rates. Pitt–Bradford had the highest average pass rate at 92.37 percent, while Titusville’s was 91.9 percent. The state average was 85.2 percent. 

In addition to examining information from the institutions, programs and testing data, RN Careers surveyed more than 9,000 nurses and gathered data from the state nursing board, U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The site also included information on the net cost of programs (after financial aid has been awarded) loan default rates, borrowing and loan payments.

For full rankings, visit www.rncareers.org/rn-programs/pennsylvania/.