Top 8 PH Nursing Schools by Board Exam Passing Rates

For those who aspire to work in the healthcare industry as professional nurses, passing the board exam is a mandatory requirement. Going to nursing school is the best way to do so, and the Philippines has produced many top-notch nursing graduates who hail from various schools and universities across the country.

Many of these newly minted healthcare professionals come from well-known universities such as UST and FEU, which have been well-established reputations in the medical field. Others nurses who have gone on to nab lucrative nursing jobs both here and abroad are from lesser known ones that have nonetheless proven their mettle with their excellent track records when it comes to their board exam passers.

Here are ten of the best-performing nursing schools in the Philippines today:

1. Cebu Normal University

Graduates of this government sponsored university consistently top the Philippine nurse’s licensure exam, with a 100% passing rate for five years running. Professors are said to be very strict but flexible, which many alumni say is one of the reasons why they perform well in their chosen profession. The school also has some of the most modern medical facilities in the country, where their Virtual Laboratory has two fully automatic mannequins, a newly refurbished Nursing Arts Laboratory, and simulators of operating rooms, delivery rooms, ICU, among others.

2. West Visayas State University

This state university has a 100% passing rate for first-time takers since 2013. Established in 1902, the West Visayas State University is a pioneer teacher training institution in the region and is named as a Center of Excellence by the late Senator Blas Ople and a Centre of Excellence for Teacher Education by CHED in 1995. Tuition fees are affordable at about 8,000 per semester and no more than 16,000 per year, but entrance exams are competitive, so having the means to pay for the tuition does not guarantee acceptance to their nursing program.

The school only hires those with at least a master’s degree in their area of specialty, and nursing students have access to a level 4 tertiary teaching and training hospital at the West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSU-MC), which also has accredited residency training programs in Surgery, OB-Gyne, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, Psychiatry, Radiology and Anesthesiology.

3. University of Santo Tomas

Through the years, UST has consistently produced top-notch graduates in the medical profession, with a 99% passing rate in the past few years. Established in 1611, the only Pontifical Catholic university in Asia is even older than Harvard University in the US! It offers both undergraduate and master’s degree in Nursing, but because it is a private university, tuition fees can be quite steep: Php80,000 – Php120,000 per year for the 4-year BSN Program, and about Php33,000 – Php57,000 per year for a 2-year MA Nursing program.

4. Silliman University

The Silliman University College of Nursing (SUCN) in Dumaguete City was established in 1947 by an American Missionary, Mrs. Paul Smith (nee Mary Marquez).It’s an excellent training ground for future nurses, with a 100% board exam passing rate in 2015. Students here can apply the theories they learn in the classroom in several medical centers: the Silliman University Medical Centre and the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, and practice rural health nursing at the Dumaguete City Health Department. The SUCN is affiliated with international medical institutions such as John Hopkins Internal Education, and the recipient of numerous local awards, including recognition as a Centre of Excellence in Nursing (COENE) by the Professional Regulation Commission.

The tuition for their Bachelor of Nursing Program costs about Php81,000 annually while their 2-year Masters Program costs Php 8,700 per semester. Their masters program allows nurses to acquire expertise in very specific areas because they have 6 majors to choose from, including Administration, Family Nursing Practice, Community Health Nursing.

5. Chinese General Hospital Colleges

The 2015 nursing graduates of Chinese General Hospital Colleges had a 100% passing rate for its first-time takers, proving time and again that it is a premier medical training ground for those who want to join the nursing profession. It’s been around since 1921, where it was established by nurses who hailed from Hong Kong and Canton, China. A 4-year BS Nursing is about Php53,000 per year.

6. De La Salle Health Services Institute

The De La Salle Health Services Institute campus is located in Dasmarinas City, Cavite. Since 2013, the school has produced a total of 229 Nursing Licensure Exam (NLE) passers, averaging a 96% passing rate for the past few years. Tuition costs about Php130,000 per year for the BS Nursing course, and they also offer MA in Nursing where you can choose to major in either Maternal and Child Nursing or Medical Surgical Nursing. Tuition for the 3 year MA is at Php36,000 per year.

The school is affiliated with the De La Salle University Medical Center, the first Philippine hospital with an ISO 9001 Certification by the TUV-Rheinland. The BS Nursing program uses state of the art equipment that mimic real life scenarios, so students have the opportunity for hands-on learning in DLSHSI.

7. Far Eastern University Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation

FEU has a good reputation for producing top-notch students in the medical field. Many of its medical school graduates go on to become established doctors and professionals both here and abroad. Its nursing program is no exception. Like most private schools, though, tuition fees might be a bit steep at about Php100,000 per year for a 4-year Nursing course. But this is because FEU has a long history of medical school excellence in the country, having produced doctors and other medical professionals since 1952. While the school has had numerous doctors in its roster of graduates, the FEU-NRMF School of Nursing is a fairly new addition, having been established in 2003.

8. Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

This state-run university is one of the country’s premier pillars of learning, and its affiliation with different hospitals such as the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) is said to be one of the benefits of studying here because nursing students are given early exposure to what it’s really like to be in the nursing profession. It has a 97% NLE passing rate for its nursing school graduates since 2013, making it one of the best training grounds for aspiring nurses. Tuition fees are affordable, ranging from Php600 to Php16,000 per year for the undergraduate nursing program, and a 2-year MA Nursing course that costs about Php20,500 to Php34,000 per year.

As a final note, remember that while these schools have earned the reputation of producing top-notch nursing graduates who go on to land rewarding jobs in the medical field, it’s not the school per se that determines whether or not you’ll pass the NLE, but your own hard work and determination to do so. Get ready to endure long days and nights burning the midnight oil to study for endless exams, surprise quizzes, and “terror” professors who want nothing more than to see their students pass become successful nurses in the future.

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