LEWISTON, Idaho — Lewis-Clark State College’s nursing program outperformed every public Bachelor of Science in Nursing program across Idaho, Washington, and Oregon in 2025, recording a first-time NCLEX pass rate of 96.43%, according to a Nurse.org analysis published June 17.
The NCLEX — the National Council Licensure Examination — is the required licensing test for registered nurses throughout the United States. Of the 84 LCSC nursing graduates who sat for the exam in 2025, nearly all cleared it on their first attempt, a result that placed the Lewiston institution well above both regional and national benchmarks.
Idaho’s statewide first-time pass rate reached 92.2% in 2025, ranking the state ninth in the nation and well above Washington’s 89.1% rate. The national average stood at 89%. Oregon did not publish verified candidate totals for the year.
The result reflects the strength of workforce-focused education in the Lewis-Clark Valley, where healthcare employers at facilities such as St. Joseph Regional Medical Center depend on a steady pipeline of qualified nurses. High NCLEX pass rates directly translate into job-ready graduates entering the workforce without the delays or costs associated with re-examination.
LCSC, a public liberal arts and technical college located in Lewiston, has long served as a cornerstone of professional education in Nez Perce County. Its nursing program’s performance reinforces Idaho’s broader standing as a competitive state for nursing education. As Idaho continues to work on strengthening its education outcomes across multiple sectors, results like these offer a measurable point of progress. Discussions about K-12 and higher education funding remain active across the state as lawmakers weigh how best to support institutions producing this level of results.
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