Associate in Nursing Degree Program Outcomes
END OF PROGRAM STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Use a caring holistic approach to provide and advocate for safe quality care for patients and families in an environment that values the uniqueness, dignity, and diversity of patients.
- Apply the nursing process to make nursing judgments, substantiated with evidence to provide safe, quality patient care across the lifespan.
- Use principles of management and delegation to implement plans of care with members of the interprofessional team to achieve safe, quality patient outcomes.
- Demonstrate the standards of professional nursing practice and core values within an ethical and legal framework.
- Apply principles of leadership and interprofessional collaboration to improve patient outcomes.
- Use evidence-based findings and information technology to improve the quality of care for patients.
- Apply effective written communication methods applicable to the nursing profession.
DIRECT METHODS
The table below provides a brief overview of the measures selected to assess end of program student learning outcomes (EPSLOs) for the Associate Degree in Nursing program. Measures were selected from the three final courses in the program. Benchmarks have been established to differentiate between three levels of EPSLO achievement (highly achieved, meets standard, and needs improvement). These three levels of achievement are color coded and used in the section below to indicate the level of achievement for each measure, for each learning outcome.
| End of Program Student Learning Outcome | Fiscal Year 2026 Direct Assessment Measure % (n) | ||
| NUR250 | NUR275 | NUR290 | |
| EPSLO 1: Use a caring holistic approach to provide and advocate for safe quality care for patients and families in an environment that values the uniqueness, dignity, and diversity of patients. |
Midpoint Clinical Evaluation (M4.7 Midpoint Assessment) 67.82% (606) |
M7.6 ATI RN Pharmacology Proctored Assessment (NUR211) 91.95% (820) |
Outcome Achievement Reflection 95.05% (566) |
|
Final Clinical Evaluation (M8.6 Final Assessment) 64.47% (591) |
M4.1 Midpoint Assessment 68.97% (564) |
Critical Thinking Activity 96.44% (562) |
|
| — |
M7.1 Content Mastery Series Leadership Assessment 92.72% (563) |
Final Clinical Evaluation (M8.2 Final Assessment) 64.17% (561) |
|
| EPSLO 2: Apply the nursing process to make nursing judgments, substantiated with evidence to provide safe, quality patient care across the lifespan. |
Midpoint Clinical Evaluation (M4.7 Midpoint Assessment) 67.82% (606) |
M7.6 ATI RN Pharmacology Proctored Assessment (NUR211) 91.95% (820) |
Outcome Achievement Reflection M2.3: 96.81% (564) M3.3: 95.57% (564) |
|
Final Clinical Evaluation (M8.6 Final Assessment) 64.47% (591) |
M4.1 Midpoint Assessment 68.97% (564) |
Critical Thinking Activity 96.44% (562) |
|
| — |
M4.2 Delegation & Collaboration Paper 96.81% (564) |
Final Clinical Evaluation (M8.2 Final Assessment) 64.17% (561) |
|
| — |
M7.1 Content Mastery Series Leadership Assessment 92.72% (563) |
— | |
| EPSLO 3: Use principles of management and delegation to implement plans of care with members of the interprofessional team to achieve safe, quality patient outcomes. |
Midpoint Clinical Evaluation (M4.7 Midpoint Assessment) 67.82% (606) |
M7.6 ATI RN Pharmacology Proctored Assessment (NUR211) 91.95% (820) |
Outcome Achievement Reflection 95.57% (564) |
|
Final Clinical Evaluation (M8.6 Final Assessment) 64.47% (591) |
M4.1 Midpoint Assessment 68.97% (564) |
Critical Thinking Activity 96.44% (562) |
|
| — |
M7.1 Content Mastery Series Leadership Assessment 92.72% (563) |
Final Clinical Evaluation (M8.2 Final Assessment) 64.17% (561) |
|
| EPSLO 4: Demonstrate the standards of professional nursing practice and core values within an ethical and legal framework. |
Midpoint Clinical Evaluation (M4.7 Midpoint Assessment) 67.82% (606) |
M7.6 ATI RN Pharmacology Proctored Assessment (NUR211) 91.95% (820) |
Outcome Achievement Reflection 97.34% (564) |
|
Final Clinical Evaluation (M8.6 Final Assessment) 64.47% (591) |
M4.1 Midpoint Assessment 68.97% (564) |
Critical Thinking Activity 96.44% (562) |
|
| — |
M7.1 Content Mastery Series Leadership Assessment 92.72% (563) |
Final Clinical Evaluation (M8.2 Final Assessment) 64.17% (561) |
|
| EPSLO 5: Apply principles of leadership and interprofessional collaboration to improve patient outcomes |
Midpoint Clinical Evaluation (M4.7 Midpoint Assessment) 67.82% (606) |
M7.6 ATI RN Pharmacology Proctored Assessment (NUR211) 91.95% (820) |
Outcome Achievement Reflection 96.28% (564) |
|
Final Clinical Evaluation (M8.6 Final Assessment) 64.47% (591) |
M4.1 Midpoint Assessment 68.97% (564) |
Critical Thinking Activity 96.44% (562) |
|
| — |
M7.1 Content Mastery Series Leadership Assessment 92.72% (563) |
Final Clinical Evaluation (M8.2 Final Assessment) 64.17% (561) |
|
| EPSLO 6: Use evidence-based findings and information technology to improve the quality of care for patients. |
Midpoint Clinical Evaluation (M4.7 Midpoint Assessment) 67.82% (606) |
M7.6 ATI RN Pharmacology Proctored Assessment (NUR211) 91.95% (820) |
Outcome Achievement Reflection 98.23% (564) |
|
Final Clinical Evaluation (M8.6 Final Assessment) 64.47% (591) |
M4.1 Midpoint Assessment 68.97% (564) |
Critical Thinking Activity 96.44% (562) |
|
| — |
M7.1 Content Mastery Series Leadership Assessment 92.72% (563) |
Final Clinical Evaluation (M8.2 Final Assessment) 64.17% (561) |
|
| EPSLO 7: Apply effective written communication methods applicable to the nursing profession |
Midpoint Clinical Evaluation (M4.7 Midpoint Assessment) 67.82% (606) |
— |
Outcome Achievement Reflection 97.34% (563) |
|
Final Clinical Evaluation (M8.6 Final Assessment) 64.47% (591) |
M4.1 Midpoint Assessment 68.97% (564) |
Critical Thinking Activity 96.44% (562) |
|
| — |
M7.1 Content Mastery Series Leadership Assessment 92.72% (563) |
Final Clinical Evaluation (M8.2 Final Assessment) 64.17% (561) |
|
| Expected Level of Achievement (ELA) Course-embedded assessments: The percentage of students who receive a score of “satisfactory” or better on the selected course assessment that measures the related EPSLO. | Highly Achieved ≥85% | Meets Standard 70-84% | Needs Improvement <70% |
INDIRECT METHODS
Alumni surveys are administered upon graduation and one-year post-graduation. Graduates are asked about their perception of achievement of end of program student learning outcomes (EPSLOs).
Goal: The expected level of achievement for the exit is an average of 4.5 on a 7.0 scale (1=Not at all achieved; 7= Completely achieved and one-year alumni survey is an average of 4.5 or higher on a 6.0 scale (1=Not at all achieved; 6=Completely achieved).
| End of Program Student Learning Outcomes (EPSLOs) | FY25 Exit Survey Results (50 students) | FY25 One-Year Survey Results (33 students) |
| (1=Strongly Disagree; 6=Strongly Agree) | ||
| 1. Use a caring holistic approach to provide and advocate for safe quality care for patients and families in an environment that values the uniqueness, dignity, and diversity of patients. | 6.64 | 5.21 |
| 2. Apply the nursing process to make nursing judgments, substantiated with evidence to provide safe, quality patient care across the lifespan. | 6.58 | 5.18 |
| 3. Use principles of management and delegation to implement plans of care with members of the intraprofessional team to achieve safe, quality patient outcomes. | 6.67 | 5.06 |
| 4. Demonstrate the standards of professional nursing practice and core values within an ethical and legal framework. | 6.67 | 5.21 |
| 5. Apply principles of leadership and interprofessional collaboration to improve patient outcomes. | 6.67 | 4.97 |
| 6. Use evidence-based findings and information technology to improve the quality of care for patients. | 6.58 | 5.18 |
| 7. Apply effective written communication methods applicable to the nursing profession. | 6.62 | – |
| Exit and One-year Survey Expected Level of Achievement Legend | Met (average of 4.5 or higher on a 7.0 scale) | Not Met (average below 4.5 on a 6.0 scale) |
*EPSLO7 will be included for the FY26 One-Year Alumni Survey
ASSESSMENT OF PROGRAM OUTCOMES
PROGRAM COMPLETION OF THE AAS OR AS NURSING PROGRAM
The Excelsior associate in nursing degrees are designed to be completed at the student’s pace. The program length for part-time students is 12 trimesters (4 years) and 6 trimesters (2 years) for full-time students. Students in either the AS or AAS program are required to complete all degree requirements within 4.5 years of enrollment.
ACEN defines program completion as the percentage of students who graduate/complete in no more than 100% of the stated nursing program length, beginning with enrollment on the first day of the first nursing course. Based on this definition, approximately 73% of first-time Excelsior University students who enrolled in their first nursing requirement in 2021 completed the associate degree program within 12 trimesters/4 years (i.e., 100% of the average part-time program length of 12 trimesters). Currently there is no full-time data to report.
NCLEX-RN® LICENSURE EXAM
Excelsior University tracks student performance on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing NCLEX-RN®, which is the examination used in licensing Registered Nurses.
Results of associate degree in nursing first-time pass rates for Excelsior University, the Nation, and New York State include the following:
| Calendar Year* | Excelsior First-Time Pass Rate |
National First-Time Pass Rate |
New York State First-Time Pass Rate |
| 2019 | 78% | 85% | 86% |
| 2020 | 78% | 83% | 84% |
| 2021 | 74% | 82% | 77% |
| 2022 | 67% | 78% | 74% |
| 2023 | 76% | 88% | 84% |
| 2024 | 83% | 91% | 87% |
| 2025 | 77% | 86% | 81% |
*Excelsior students pass rates from the state of Tennessee (TN) are reported only to the TN Board of Nursing. All other Excelsior students pass rates are reported to the New York (NY) State Board of Nursing. The First-Time Pass Rates posted on this page are an aggregate of all Excelsior students first-time pass rates from both the TN and NY State Boards of Nursing.
JOB PLACEMENT RATES
Based on responses to the one-year alumni survey from graduates who completed the program between July 2024 through June 2025 (n=75, response rate=10%), 89% of graduate respondents are employed in a position that requires an RN license. Of the 22 matched FY25 Associate Degree Nursing grads in Lightcast, 100% have a Registered Nurse job title.
