Centralia College has confirmed that 100 percent of its 2024 nursing program graduates passed their National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) on their first attempt. All 24 program graduates are now licensed, and most are already working in the medical facility of their choice.
“I could not be more proud of our faculty and students,” said Jenny Bauska, Centralia College’s director of nursing. “We’ve repeatedly heard from our clinical partners that our graduates are among the very best they hire for their facilities. The fact that we had a 100 percent first-time pass rate demonstrates that level of excellence.”
Pass rates have dropped nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, but are starting to rebound. Centralia College had a pass rate of 71 percent in the 2021 to 2022 graduating class and 85 percent in the 2022 to 2023 graduating class. Before the pandemic, Centralia College’s pass rates were typically in the low 90s.
“This is especially meaningful coming out of the dark days of COVID,” Bauska said. “It was a lot of work to get here, and we’re over the moon!”
New nursing cohorts begin each fall quarter in September. Applications for the 2025 nursing program will open in early January with the initial application due by April 15. The final application documents are due by the end of June. Each cohort is capped at 24 students. To learn more about the nursing program, visit www.centralia.edu/pathways/healthcare/nursing.aspx.
