What is the NCLEX pass rate in Utah?

Utah nursing programs have historically performed near or slightly above the national NCLEX-RN average, with first-attempt pass rates typically ranging from 85–91%. Utah's Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) oversees program approval and monitors pass rate performance.

What is Utah DOPL's NCLEX pass rate requirement?

Utah's Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) requires nursing programs to maintain acceptable NCLEX pass rates as part of program approval. Programs that fall below established benchmarks must submit improvement plans and may face additional oversight.

Utah Nursing Programs

Utah NCLEX Pass Rates: Benchmarks, DOPL Standards, and Improvement Strategies

Utah nursing programs have historically performed near or above the national NCLEX average. Maintaining those outcomes under the Next Generation NCLEX requires a deliberate shift toward clinical judgment training.

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Utah's Nursing Education Landscape

Utah's nursing education sector includes both university-based BSN programs and community college ADN programs, with strong representation from institutions like the University of Utah, Utah Valley University, Brigham Young University, Westminster College, and Snow College. The state's Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) oversees program approval and monitors NCLEX performance.

Utah programs have generally maintained strong pass rate histories. However, the 2023 NGN transition introduced new challenges even for high-performing programs — the clinical judgment skills required by NGN demand a different kind of preparation than traditional content review.

Utah faculty are increasingly incorporating simulation-based clinical communication training to ensure students can perform under pressure, not just recall content. The ISBARR framework is central to this shift.

Utah NCLEX-RN first-attempt pass rate (approximate)

85–91%

Historically near or above the national average

Utah DOPL oversight

Active

Programs must maintain acceptable rates and submit improvement plans if below benchmark

NGN impact on Utah programs

Emerging

Programs without updated CJMM-aligned curricula are seeing new pressure

Growth trajectory in Utah nursing demand

High

Rapidly growing population driving sustained demand for qualified RNs

Maintaining Utah's NCLEX Performance in the NGN Era

Utah programs that have maintained strong pass rates did so in part by investing in clinical judgment-focused simulation early. The ISBARR telephone communication framework — practiced repeatedly in simulation — directly builds the assessment articulation and recommendation skills that NGN's clinical judgment items measure.

For Utah programs looking to protect or improve pass rates, the key is ensuring that students don't just know the ISBARR framework on paper — they can execute it under clinical pressure. SimPhone Pro™ creates that pressure environment reliably, at scale, without requiring one-on-one faculty time for every student attempt.

For Utah Faculty

SimPhone Pro™ provides Utah nursing programs with objective, documented ISBARR performance data that supports DOPL compliance reporting, CCNE/ACEN accreditation evidence, and faculty-informed student remediation decisions.