The “largest website and community of nurses online,” nurse.org, named the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s (UTC) School of Nursing as the best in the state as part of its 2023 nurse.org Best Nursing Schools by state rankings.
In its ranking explanation, nurse.org cited UTC’s National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Exam (NCLEX) pass rate of 96 percent. Graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX to become a registered nurse upon completion of the bachelor’s program in nursing. The national average NCLEX pass rate is 82 percent.
“First-time NCLEX pass rates are impressive,” the website states, adding that every UTC nursing student who completed the BSN has passed the NCLEX.
“Being ranked No. 1 in the state is a very nice honor, especially when you look at who else was on the list,” Dr. Chris Smith, director of the UTC School of Nursing and the University’s Chief Health Affairs Officer said in a statement. “Rankings are important because it means we are being looked at by people across the community, state and country. They see what we do is valid and valued, especially when it comes to educating students to become competent nurses in the workforce.”
Noting how UTC has one of the lowest annual in-state tuition among Tennessee’s Top 10 nursing schools, Smith added, “There are a lot of universities and colleges that have great NCLEX pass rates, but UTC continues to be a very affordable school. Our outcomes are as good—if not better—than more expensive programs. For us to be recognized for our affordability by a national organization is important.”
UTC’s annual in-state tuition is $9,848.
In February, UTC announced that it will offer an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program beginning this year’s fall semester, allowing individuals with pre-obtained bachelor’s degrees in any field to transition to nursing careers through a 59-credit, three-semester curriculum.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
