North Carolina A&T State University School of Nursing

Why Black students choose NCAT for nursing

North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro is the largest historically Black college or university in the United States by enrollment, and its School of Nursing has been part of the institution since the traditional pre-licensure program was established in 1953. For Black students weighing nursing schools, that scale matters. You are not the only Black student in your cohort, not the only Black student on your unit during clinicals, and not navigating professional identity in isolation. NCAT's Aggie network in healthcare runs deep across North Carolina and the Mid-Atlantic.

The School of Nursing sits within the John R. and Kathy R. Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences and operates from Noble Hall at 1601 East Market Street. Skills labs and simulation training run through Union Square in downtown Greensboro, a shared health-sciences facility opened in 2016 that NCAT operates jointly with Cone Health, UNC Greensboro, and Guilford Technical Community College.

Programs and pathways

NCAT offers three BSN entry options plus a graduate program in development:

• Traditional BSN (pre-licensure). A four-year baccalaureate program requiring 124 credit hours. The first two years cover core and pre-nursing prerequisites; the upper division covers nursing coursework and clinicals. Applications for upper-division entry are accepted once per year, due February 15 for the following summer cohort.
• Accelerated BSN (ABSN). A 12-month intensive program for students who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field, running January through December in block format. Requires a 3.0 cumulative GPA, prerequisite coursework completed with a C or better on first attempt, TEAS scores meeting or exceeding the national mean, and a current CNA I listing on the NC Nurse Aide I Registry. Application window is August 1 to October 1 each year.
• RN-to-BSN Completion (BSNC). An online completion program for licensed RNs with an Associate degree in Nursing. Up to 56 transfer credits plus 34 proficiency credits awarded upon completion of NURS 360, leaving the remainder of the 120-hour degree to be earned online.
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). NCAT received preliminary authorization from the UNC System to develop a DNP program to expand advanced clinical training in the region.

Accreditation and licensure outcomes

The School of Nursing is approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), per the NCAT academic catalog. The school is a member of the National League for Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

NCLEX-RN pass rates for first-time test takers, as reported by NCAT's Office of Strategic Planning, Institutional Effectiveness and Research:

• 2024: 91.4% (53 of 58 first-time test takers passed)
• 2023: 91.2% (31 of 34)
• 2022: 70.7% (29 of 41)

The 2022 dip prompted significant program investment, including new faculty hires, expanded academic coaching, and adoption of the ATI learning platform for structured NCLEX preparation. The 2023 and 2024 results put the program above the UNC Board of Governors' 90% first-time pass threshold. The School of Nursing reports a three-year passage rate of 91% and a 100% job placement rate for recent graduates.

Cost of attendance

NCAT consistently ranks among the most affordable nursing schools in North Carolina. For the 2025-2026 academic year, undergraduate tuition and required fees on the main campus are $6,813 in-state and $20,673 out-of-state. Total cost of attendance, including housing, meals, books, transportation, and personal expenses, is estimated at $28,519.19 in-state on-campus, $23,370.60 in-state living at home, $43,243.19 out-of-state on-campus, and $38,410.89 out-of-state living at home. The School of Nursing has been a recipient of a $3.25 million five-year Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) scholarship award that has supported 144 nursing students to date.

Clinical partners and training sites

Cone Health is NCAT's primary clinical and academic partner. The two institutions signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding in March 2023 covering clinical education, research, and workforce development. Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital co-sponsors several programs including the Registered Nurse First Assistant track. Beyond Cone Health, NCAT students rotate through Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist sites in the Triad, public health departments, ambulatory clinics, and home health agencies. Community-facing training runs through the School's C.A.R.E.S. mobile care units (two 37-foot vehicles), Wellness Wednesdays health screenings with the YMCA of Guilford and Rockingham counties, and pediatric health education at Solomon's World.

Student life and support for Black nursing students

The cultural baseline at NCAT is what makes it a different experience from a predominantly white nursing school. Faculty mentorship, peer cohorts, and the broader Aggie student body share lived experience around the racial dynamics of healthcare that Black nursing students will face in clinicals and in practice. The School's Center of Excellence for Integrative Health Disparities and Equity Research connects nursing curriculum to community health equity work. Students participate in summer research intensives (recent placements include UC Irvine's eight-week program), Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society activities, and the Medical Career Camp pipeline program for younger students.

How to apply

All applicants begin with the NCAT Office of Undergraduate Admissions and select Pre-Nursing as the major. Freshman applicants for Pre-Nursing need a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher and SAT 1010 or ACT 20. Transfer applicants need a college GPA of 3.0 or higher with C or better in prerequisites on first attempt. Upper-division admission to the Traditional BSN requires a GPA of 2.8 or higher (recently admitted students averaged 3.77), TEAS scores at or above the national mean, CNA I listing, a negative drug screen, background check, and current immunizations. The Accelerated BSN requires a completed prior bachelor's degree with a 3.0 GPA, the same TEAS and CNA I requirements, and a writing sample. The RN-to-BSN pathway requires an Associate degree in Nursing and an active RN license in North Carolina or a compact state.

School of Nursing contact: nursing@ncat.edu, 336-334-7750.