New Report Shows Graduates of NLN CNEA Accredited Programs Land Jobs at a Higher Rate than the National Average

New Report Shows Graduates of NLN CNEA Accredited Programs Land Jobs at a Higher Rate than the National Average

Success in Nursing Education Comes Despite Persistent Nursing Shortage

Washington, DC — As our nation’s health care system and health institutions worldwide continue to grapple with a shortage of nurses, the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) is pleased to report that programs it accredits at all levels of higher education surpass the national average of overall college students in graduating licensed and certified nurses who are then hired at a higher rate, making a nursing career a great return on investment for students.

Additionally, compared to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) and other sources, the 2025 CNEA annual report shows that 82% of students in CNEA-accredited programs completed their course of study to earn a degree, exceeding the national average graduation rate of 71% for all pre-licensure programs. At the same time, nearly 91% of CNEA-accredited program graduates passed qualifying licensure and certification exams, compared with an average national passage rate of 87% for first-time PN/VN test-takers and 87% for RN first-time testers. 

Further analysis of the 2025 data revealed an even stronger picture for CNEA-accredited programs. Of the 182 programs currently accredited by CNEA across 34 U.S. states, 47 or 26% are PN/VN programs, an extraordinary number considering that only 18% of PN/VN programs seek national accreditation. According to NCSBN, accredited PN/VN programs have significantly better outcomes for their rates of student completion, licensure/certification, and employment than unaccredited PN/VN programs.

The largest categories of CNEA-accredited programs fall into Associate Degree in Nursing (AD) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs. Non-CNEA-accredited AD programs, on average, graduate only 34 to 37% of students who initially enroll; BSN programs report completion rates in the 61 to 64% range. Even advanced degree programs accredited elsewhere demonstrate significantly lower completion averages — 70 to 75% for master’s candidates and 77% for Doctor of Nursing practice candidates — than the over 82% completion rate on all levels, PN/VN through doctorate, of CNEA-accredited programs.

Little surprise then that graduates of CNEA-accredited programs, across the board, have reported finding employment faster than graduates with other college degrees, regardless of their licensure or certification, with an astonishing 92% post-graduate employment rate.

“We are incredibly proud of NLN CNEA leaders and staff who have achieved such impressive results after only 10 years since CNEA first began offering pre-accreditation services, and just five years since the agency gained full recognition as a program accreditor by the U.S. Department of Education,” said NLN CNEA Board Chair Brooke McAtee, PhD, MSN, RN, director of nursing programs at Northwest Missouri State University.

“The NLN CNEA accreditation process respects a variety of program missions, curricula, students, and faculty, emphasizing a culture of continuous quality improvement to facilitate the preparation of a caring and skilled nursing workforce,” said NLN CNEA Executive Director Teresa Shellenbarger, PhD, RN, CNE, CNEcl, ANEF, FAAN. “The outstanding graduation, licensure, and employment rates from CNEA-accredited nursing programs reflect our goals and standards in evaluating programs for accreditation. They also demonstrate the quality of CNEA-accredited programs and their successful program outcomes in graduating students who are highly desirable to prospective employers.”

For more information about NLN CNEA accreditation, visit CNEA.NLN.org.

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