Why Choose Nazareth for Nursing?

You’re a nursing student from day one, accepted directly into Nazareth’s nursing major. Your strong preparation for a rewarding career is built on small, student-centered classes. You receive effective preparation for the nursing licensure exam and individual attention from caring, accessible faculty.

Nazareth's nursing degree program prepares you to be the kind of nurse most needed now and in the future — a culturally-competent caregiver aware of equity issues and global health challenges, ready for the complexity of modern health care. You’ll possess in-depth knowledge of nursing and the skills to work well with patients and families of diverse backgrounds, languages, and socioeconomic levels, across all health care settings.

High Nursing Exam Pass Rate

  • Nazareth students' first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN®) has surpassed the New York state and national pass rates for the past six years and averages 93 percent.

Program Highlights

Nazareth University's distinctive nursing department:

  • Assigns you a nursing faculty advisor in your first semester, for guidance and support throughout your nursing studies.
  • Prepares you to be part of collaborative health care teams through a unique interprofessional course with fellow College of Interprofessional Health and Human Services students, including occupational therapy, physical therapy, art therapy, music therapy, speech therapy, and social work students.
  • Incorporates clinical experiences in acute, ambulatory, and community-based settings. Classroom faculty also teach in these clinical settings.
  • Strengthens your clinical skill development through interactive experiential learning in a modern nursing simulation center. The center is available for student practice sessions with peers throughout the semester.
  • Incorporates academic curricula that develops the high-level critical thinking skills necessary for your attainment of RN licensure.
  • Collaborates closely with Nazareth’s public health program for students interested in a public health dual major or minor.
  • Encourages study-abroad opportunities for nursing students to practice in global settings such as a week in Belize and a semester or two in Finland, to learn novel approaches to patient care. The Finland option can include a dual degree and licensure in the European Union. Nazareth’s SPARK grant helps pay for you to have an international experience. 
  • Supports nursing student athletes to successfully combine nursing studies with a sports commitment.
  • You can join Nazareth's chapter of the National Student Nurses' Association — the only one in the region — for mentoring to support you in preparing for your initial licensure, to network, and to foster your professional development.

Nubia Cromartie '22

    View nursing admissions standards.

    See answers to frequently asked questions.

    BSN, nursing major, nursing degree program for RNs and LPNs at Nazareth College Rochester, NY.

    Alumni Spotlight

    “Nazareth prepared me with social, professional, and communication skills that enhanced my ability to take on a leadership role as an RN. The nursing program taught me to be self-directed, resourceful, and sensitive to all cultures and systems, which has proven invaluable,” said Maggie Dawidczyk ’10. She went on to earn her master’s degree as a clinical nurse leader and  work as the nurse manager for the Trauma/General Surgery & Colorectal Surgery unit at Strong Memorial Hospital.

    In Demand

    Registered nurses are among the top occupations for expected job growth through 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Example Career Settings

    • Elementary and secondary schools
    • Hospitals, clinics, and private practices
    • Home care agencies
    • International nursing organizations
    • Long-term care settings
    • Military
    • Nursing schools
    • Pharmaceutical companies
    • Medical equipment companies
    • Special interest groups

    Clinical Sites

    • Canandaigua VA
    • HCR of Rochester
    • Lifetime Care
    • Rochester General Hospital
    • University of Rochester Medical Center
    • Unity Hospital

    Employers

    • Centers for Disease Control
    • Cleveland Clinic
    • Mayo Clinic
    • Mt. Sinai Health System
    • Rochester Regional Health System
    • UR Medicine Health System
    • Yale Primary Care

    Graduate Schools

    • Albany Medical College
    • Boston College
    • Emory University
    • SUNY Buffalo
    • University of Rochester
    College of Distinction: Nursing badge

    Nazareth is among a select group of top colleges and universities across the country hand-picked to earn a Top Nursing Colleges of Distinction for its programs that are well rounded, highly accredited, and focused on student success.

    CCNE accredited nursing logo

    The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Nazareth University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

    Professional Licensure Disclosure