Iona University Nursing Graduates Achieve 100 Percent First-Time NCLEX Pass Rate
May 2026 undergraduate nursing cohort surpasses national benchmark, highlighting Iona's commitment to preparing the next generation of health care professionals
Iona's 100% pass rate notably exceeded the 2025 national average.
New Rochelle and Bronxville, N.Y. — Iona University is proud to announce that 100 percent of undergraduate nursing students in its May 2026 graduating cohort passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) on their first attempt, marking an impressive achievement for the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences.
The NCLEX-RN is the national licensing examination for registered nurses, designed to assess the knowledge, skills and clinical judgment necessary to provide safe and effective patient care. Passing the exam is a critical milestone for nursing graduates as they prepare to enter the profession.
Iona's perfect pass rate notably exceeded the 2025 national average of 86.7 percent among first-time, U.S.-educated NCLEX-RN candidates, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). The 13.3-percentage-point difference underscores the strength of Iona's nursing program and its commitment to preparing graduates for success.
“A 100% first-time NCLEX pass rate is an outstanding achievement and a reflection of our students’ hard work, our faculty’s commitment, our program’s strong curriculum and the strength of our clinical partnerships,” Iona Director of Nursing Shery Watson said. “The Next Generation NCLEX is designed to measure clinical judgment, not memorization; this result tells us our graduates can think critically and make sound decisions at the bedside. Our graduates are entering the profession fully prepared to provide safe, compassionate, evidence-based care. We are incredibly proud of each of them.”
Passing the exam is a critical milestone for nursing graduates as they prepare to enter the profession.
Through the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences, students benefit from a comprehensive education that combines rigorous coursework with real-world clinical experiences beginning in their second year. Iona's partnership with NewYork-Presbyterian provides valuable opportunities for students to learn alongside experienced health care professionals and gain firsthand experience in clinical settings.
“This amazing achievement speaks to the strength of nursing education we have built here at Iona, one that connects rigorous academics with exceptional clinical experiences and a deep commitment to compassionate care,” said Kavita Dhanwada, Ph.D., founding dean of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences. “Seeing every graduate in this cohort pass on the first attempt is a proud milestone for our School and an affirmation of how we prepare students for the demands of the profession. These graduates carry forward our mission to improve lives and serve communities with knowledge, skill and purpose.”
Located on Iona's Bronxville campus, the state-of-the-art Kelly Center for Health Sciences further enhances this preparation through advanced simulation technology, collaborative learning spaces and hands-on training designed to mirror real-world health care environments.
Together, these experiences reflect Iona's commitment to developing skilled, compassionate health care professionals equipped to make a meaningful impact on the patients and communities they serve.
To learn more about Iona's Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing program, visit iona.edu.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of over 4,000 students and an alumni base of 55,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2026, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 6 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review once again named Iona to its “Best Business Schools for 2025,” recognizing both its on-campus and online MBA programs. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.