Samuel Merritt University (College of Nursing) is a CCNE-accredited private, nonprofit university based in California, founded in 1909, offering 2 pre-licensure nursing pathways that lead to a first RN license. It suits someone who is not yet an RN and can attend in-person classes, labs, and clinical rotations. If you are already a licensed RN, an RN-to-BSN program is the better fit.
We do not show a quantified score for Samuel Merritt University (College of Nursing) yet. As a private, nonprofit university it sets its own tuition and support model, and we check program quality, faculty, online support, real cost, and student outcomes against primary sources before scoring it. For now its first-time NCLEX index of 32.0 is one input we weigh, not a verdict. A made-up or perfect-looking rating is not something we publish.
The numbers that matter for Samuel Merritt University (College of Nursing)
Where recent cohorts trail the national baseline
| Reporting year | First-time pass rate |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 79.25% |
| 2023 | 85.85% |
| 2022 | 82.05% |
Samuel Merritt University (College of Nursing)'s index of 32.0 sits below the national baseline. First-time pass rates eased from 82.05% in 2022 to 79.25% in 2024. The index is a recency-weighted, baseline-normalized editorial signal built from public first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates. It is not an accreditation and not an outcome guarantee. Read the full methodology.
Data sourcing note: NCLEX pass rates, salary figures, and accreditation status cited on this page are drawn from state boards of nursing, government labor data, or official accreditor and school sources, with the reporting year noted. Figures are current as of the date listed and are subject to change.
What stands out at Samuel Merritt University (College of Nursing), and what to watch
- Private health-sciences university focused on nursing and health programs
- Offers a traditional pre-licensure BSN and an accelerated BSN track
- Multiple Bay Area campus locations
- Private health-sciences tuition is among the highest in the dataset
- Recent first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates have run below the national rate
- Pre-licensure clinical coursework is campus-based
Who this path is wrong for
- If you need a fully online program, the in-person labs and clinical rotations at Samuel Merritt University (College of Nursing) will not fit.
- If Samuel Merritt University (College of Nursing) does not offer the pathway you need, start from the programs hub instead of this page.
- If first-time NCLEX outcomes are your hard filter, weigh this school's index of 32.0 against the alternatives below before you inquire.
What you can study at Samuel Merritt University (College of Nursing)
Common questions
Alternatives to consider
Other schools to consider
Sources
- First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, California Board of Registered Nursing, 2022-2024. Cited source, 2026-05-22. https://www.rn.ca.gov/education/passrates.shtml