Accreditation and Licensure
Simmons is accredited by the Commission for Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. All prelicensure Nursing Programs in the Simmons School of Nursing are approved by the Massachusetts Board of Nursing.
Notice of Accreditation
We are pleased to announce that the CCNE will be conducting a re-accreditation visit for our DNP program and an accreditation visit for our Post Graduate Certificate FNP and PMHNP programs. The visit will take place from September 16th to 18th.
NECHE Accreditation
Simmons University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).
Nursing Accreditation
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Simmons University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
| Program | Initial Accreditation Date | Most Recent Accreditation Date | Accreditation Term Expires | Last On-Site Evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baccalaureate | April 21, 2004 | November 14, 2018 | June 30, 2029 | November 2018 |
| Master’s | April 21, 2004 | November 14, 2018 | June 30, 2029 | November 2018 |
| Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) | April 15, 2010 | April 8, 2015 | December 31, 2025 | April 2015 |
Individuals can provide written input to the CCNE evaluation team as part of the process. CCNE will accept written and signed comments until 21 days before the site visit.
Written and signed comments should be sent to:
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Attention: Third-Party Comments
655 K. Street NW, Suite 750
WASHINGTON, DC 20001
or
emailed to: [email protected]
For further information about this notice or the accreditation visit, please feel free to
Contact:
Dr. Heather Shlosser, DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC
Dean | School of Nursing (Graduate, Undergraduate & On-line Programs)
Associate Professor of Practice
Simmons University
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115
(Phone) 617-521-3984 (EST)
(Email) [email protected]
(Web) https://www.simmons.edu/academics/colleges-schools-departments/school-nursing
Nursing
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Simmons University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
The new Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Program track has been approved by CCNE as part of our Master's degree program.
The Post Graduate Certificate FNP & PMHNP certificate programs at Simmons University are pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org). Applying for accreditation does not guarantee that accreditation will be granted.
The baccalaureate degree in nursing and the pre-licensure Direct Entry program is fully approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing.
Nursing Licensure
Graduates of the School of Nursing programs routinely perform well on licensing/certification exams.
NCLEX-RN Licensure Exam First Time Pass Rate
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
BSN NCLEX-RN Licensure Examination Performance*
| Year | Simmons Students Licensure Examination Pass Rate | NCLEX National Average | NCLEX MA & Jurisdiction Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 93.17% | 86.06% | 87.30% |
| 2022 | 90.15% | 82.32% | 82.40% |
| 2023 | 90.68% | 90.17% | 92.10% |
*first time test takers only
Master of Science in Nursing - Direct Entry (DE) - Family Nurse Practitioner
DE NCLEX-RN Examination Performance*
| Year | Simmons Students Licensure Examination Pass Rate | NCLEX National Average | NCLEX MA & Jurisdiction Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 97.14% | 86.06% | 87.30% |
| 2022 | 100.00% | 82.32% | 82.40% |
| 2023 | 86.67% | 90.17% | 92.10% |
*first time test takers only
FNP Certification Exam First Time Pass Rate
Students take the ANCC or AANP certification exam.
Board Certification Pass Rates*
| Year | Simmons AANP Pass Rate | National Average | Simmons ANCC Pass Rate | National Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 94% | 85% | 98% | 89% |
| 2021 | 95% | 84% | 97% | 87% |
| 2022 | 89% | 74% | 98% | 87% |
| 2023 | 99% | 73% | 97% | 85% |
*first time test takers only
School of Nursing Degree Conferral or Program Completion by Conferral Date
| Degree Conferral | Total BSN (ABSN + BSN) | Pre-Licensure -> Post-Licensure DE* | RN-MSN | FNP | PMHNP | MSN - Nursing Administration | MSN Leadership | MSN Education | DNP | DNP Health Systems Administration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/31/2025 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 17 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||
| 1/31/2025 | 46 | 24 | 0 | 48 | 2 | N/A | Anticipated first degree conferral of 5/16/2025 | Anticipated first degree conferral of 5/16/2025 | 4 | N/A |
| 10/31/2024 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 19 | Anticipated first degree conferral of 1/31/2025 | N/A | ||||
| 8/30/2024 | 36 | 3 | 56 | 8 | ||||||
| 7/31/2024 | N/A | N/A | 26 | N/A | ||||||
| 5/17/2024 | 67 | 3 | 91 | |||||||
| 3/29/2024 | N/A | N/A | 21 | |||||||
| 1/31/2024 | 34 | 33 | 6 | 74 | 12 | |||||
| 10/31/2023 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 33 | N/A | |||||
| 8/31/2023 | 52 | 9 | 78 | 7 | ||||||
| 7/31/2023 | N/A | N/A | 25 | N/A | ||||||
| 5/19/2023 | 71 | 9 | 58 | 29 | 1 | |||||
| 3/31/2023 | N/A | N/A | 37 | N/A | N/A | |||||
| 1/31/2023 | 48 | 21 | 6 | 108 | 8 | 25 | ||||
| 10/31/2022 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 27 | 1 | N/A | ||||
| 8/31/2022 | 25 | 9 | 69 | 12 | ||||||
| 7/29/2022 | N/A | N/A | 39 | N/A | ||||||
| 5/20/2022 | 59 | 19 | 95 | |||||||
| 3/31/2022 | N/A | N/A | 47 | |||||||
| 1/31/2022 | 48 | 13 | 4 | 83 | 9 | |||||
| 10/29/2021 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 31 | N/A | |||||
| 8/31/2021 | 57 | 10 | 96 |
*This data is reporting the students in the Direct Entry MSN program that completed their pre-licensure course work and is transitioning to their post-licensure course work