All six students in the second cohort of St. Bonaventure University’s Dual Degree in Nursing program have passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.

The students became eligible to take the NCLEX-RN after completing the Associate of Applied Science portion of the program in May at the Cattaraugus County Campus of Jamestown Community College in Olean.

The exam is a computer-adapted test redesigned in 2023 to focus on clinical judgement and features real-world case studies to measure a nurse’s ability to think more critically and make safe decisions about patient care. The national average pass rate is 88% and the New York state average is 85%.

“Having a second cohort of 100% pass rate on this challenging exam is a testament to how hard our Bona nurses work to reach a goal and our strong partnership with JCC, who prepares them for this career milestone,” said Dr. Connie Perkins, founding director of Nursing at SBU. “I am proud of the team and students for this accomplishment in clinical judgment and look forward to all the wonderful things they will do as RNs in our community.”

In the unique 1+2+1 program, St. Bonaventure partners with JCC to offer a blended campus program in which students take first-year classes at SBU, earn an associate degree in Nursing from JCC after year three, and a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from St. Bonaventure after year four.

Learn more about the program at www.sbu.edu/Nursing.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #8 for value and #19 overall by U.S. News and World Report (2025).