With a 96% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX for registered nurses in 2026, Dordt University nursing graduates exceeded the most recent national first-time pass rate of 86% reported in 2025.
Dordt University nursing graduates achieved a 96% first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for registered nurses in 2026, exceeding the most recent national first-time pass rate of 86% in 2025.
The results reflect the strength of Dordt's nursing program and its commitment to preparing graduates with the knowledge, clinical skills, and confidence needed to provide exceptional patient care from the start of their careers.
"Passing NCLEX is a required step to obtain licensure as an RN,” says Dr. Deb Bomgaars, director of the nursing program at Dordt. “Dordt’s program also prepares students for nursing practice through clinical practice in hospitals, time in lab practicing skills, simulation scenarios, and a preceptorship—where each student works 10 shifts with a practicing nurse—during the final semester of their senior year.”
Bomgaars credits the program's success to Dordt's dedicated team of nurse educators, whose commitment to mentoring and equipping students extends well beyond the classroom and clinical setting. "Dordt Nursing is an amazing team of nurse educators that is dedicated to introducing new nurses to the profession of nursing," she says.
In addition to rigorous coursework and extensive clinical experience, Dordt's nursing faculty recognize that success on the NCLEX also requires confidence and effective test-taking strategies. To help students perform at their best, faculty intentionally equip future nurses with practical tools to manage the pressures of a high stakes exam.
"We identified that student anxiety while taking NCLEX can be an issue, so the nursing department worked to prepare students by not only having the knowledge to answer the NCLEX questions, but to be able to take a high-stakes test calmly and with confidence,” explains Bomgaars. “One of the ways we prepare them is by a resiliency workshop and by giving them strategies like prayer and breathing techniques during the exam when they feel like it is not going well.”
Additionally, the resilience and confidence that help graduates navigate the NCLEX also equip them to remain calm under pressure, think clearly, and provide compassionate care when serving patients.
For Bomgaars, the program's success is measured not only by strong NCLEX outcomes but also by the lasting impact graduates have throughout their nursing careers. She looks forward to seeing Dordt alumni serve patients with clinical excellence while living out their Christian faith in every aspect of their practice.
"I look forward to Dordt continuing to prepare Christian nurses who reflect Christian values in the care they provide every day," adds Bomgaars.
About Dordt University
As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, alumni, and the broader community to work effectively toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life.
Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt offers undergraduate and graduate programs that help students live their faith in every area of life. Through rigorous learning, meaningful relationships, and whole-person formation, students gain the practical wisdom to serve God and neighbor through their work and in their communities. Dordt has been named among the nation's leading Christian universities by U.S. News & World Report, Niche, and other national publications.
Joining Dordt this fall are Dianne Hoekstra, associate professor of nursing; Robin Van Zandbergen, instructor of nursing; and Olivia Chapman, program director for the Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN-FNP).
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