The licensure exam passage rates in 2016 for Florida students who graduated from nursing programs varied by program type. Statewide, Florida's bachelor's degree graduates performed slightly higher than their counterparts nationally, while graduates from licensed practical nursing and associate degree programs performed lower than graduates nationally.
Approximately 42% of Florida nursing education programs had national licensure exam passage rates that were 10% or more below the national average in 2016. This percentage was the same (42%) in 2015. Most of the nursing programs performing below the required legislative passage rate were created since 2009 and are unaccredited.
If a program's passage rate falls 10 percentage points below the national average for two consecutive calendar years, Florida law requires that the program be placed on probation. Associate programs accounted for 60% of 131 programs that were below the legislative standard in 2016.
As of May 2017, the Board of Nursing had placed 18 of the 131 programs with low licensure exam passage rates on probation and terminated 17 programs. An additional 43 of the programs had already closed or were planning to close voluntarily.

Review of Florida's Nursing Education Programs, 2016
Report 17-03 January 2017
Approximately 42% of Nursing Programs Had Licensure Exam Passage Rates Below the Required Legislative Standard in 2015
Report 16-05 July 2016
Florida's Nursing Education Programs Continued to Expand in 2015
Report 16-02 January 2016
Over One-Third of Nursing Programs Had Licensure Exam Passage Rates Below the Required Legislative Standard in 2014
Report 15-07 July 2015

Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.