Upcoming Nursing Info Sessions
Spring 2026 Nursing Application Cycle
The application for Spring 2026 opens on August 1, 2025, and closes on October 15, 2025. Please see the Get Started Today section for the application requirements.
TEAS Exam Policy Update
Effective April 16, 2025, the RCC Nursing Program will no longer accept ATI TEAS scores from remotely proctored online exams. For more information and to register for the ATI TEAS exam,
visit: https://www.atitesting.com/teas/register.
Students may take the TEAS exam at any official testing location, as long as it includes all required content areas: Reading, Math, Science, and English & Language Usage.
Why Study Nursing?
RCC Nursing Program graduates receive excellent preparation for NCLEX-RN with close to a 100% pass rate. The Nursing Program may be completed full time in two years or students can attend part time and complete the program in four years. Nursing applications are accepted twice annually. Graduates have a wide variety of transfer options to obtain their BSN degree. In addition, RCC has a 2+2 RN to BSN Pathway agreement with SUNY Empire. Additional advantages of RCC’s Nursing program include: affordable tuition, availability of scholarships, financial aid, full-time or part-time options, day and/or evening courses, outstanding NCLEX-RN pass rates, and on-campus child care.
RCC’s Nursing Program has been ranked by NursingProcess.org and RegisteredNursing.org as one of the “Best ADN Nursing Program in New York State.”
Program Mission
The Nursing Program at Rockland Community College aims to meet the needs of the community for individuals who are both informed citizens and registered professional nurses. The Nursing Program provides access into practice as a registered professional nurse and is the basis for higher education and lifelong learning.
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % passed | 96% | 98% | 92% | 96% |
RCC graduates’ NCLEX-RN pass rates as stated at https://www.op.nysed.gov/professions/registered-professional-nursing/nursing-education/new-york-state-nursing-programs.
Students must pass a national licensing exam in order to obtain employment.
Licensure
The Nursing Program is licensed by the New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234, www.nysed.gov.
RCC’s Nursing Program is registered by the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, as a registered nursing education program that qualifies students for licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse (RN). The registration of a program means that it has met the Department’s standards for accreditation as provided in the Rules of the Board of Regents and the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.
Accreditation
The Nursing Program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326, www.acenursing.org.
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Associate Degree Nursing Program is Continuing Accreditation.
Nursing Program Graduate Competencies (End of Program Learning Outcomes)
- Provide patient-centered care utilizing a collaborative approach which includes the patient, family, significant others, and members of the nursing and healthcare team.
- Practice with competence to provide safe, equitable and inclusive care in a cost-effective healthcare environment.
- Coordinate holistic care for groups of patients utilizing organizational skills and the concepts of delegation, accountability and advocacy.
- Practice within the ethical, legal and professional standards of nursing demonstrating a commitment to lifelong learning.
Program Completion Rates
| 2023 – 2024 | 2022 – 2023 | 2021 – 2022 | 2020 – 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On time completion | 48%* | 49%* | 49%* | 47%+ |
* completion within 2 years of admission to program for full time and 4 years for part time (100% of program length)
+ completion within 3 years of admission to program for full time and 6 years for part time (150% of program length)
Job Placement Rates
| Employed as RN | 2023 – 2024 | 2022 – 2023 | 2021 – 2022 | 2020 – 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Within 6 months after graduation |
90%* | 90%* | 100%* | 88%* |
* Includes only students who responded to the survey
School of Nursing, Health and Wellness
Degree Tracks & Course Sequence
Real World Ready
Listening to workforce needs
Graduates of Rockland Community College are provided with a clear path to meaningful careers that meet the needs of businesses and industry in the communities we serve. Our students are trained in specific skills that are needed by employers, and guided through a career path that leads directly to workforce opportunities. With affordable tuition, students who begin their college careers at RCC are ready to meet the demands of the real world.
Free Career Exploration Assessment [ACCESS CODE: pathways]
Student Success
At Rockland Community College, you are provided with a Student Success Team that will help you with your academic journey, career exploration, transfer planning, support service referrals, and more! Your Team includes your Dean, Program Director, Faculty Advisor, Student Success Advisor, Connection Center Counselor, Financial Aid Advisor, Peer Mentors, and if you’re involved in any of these special programs, your Athletics, Honors, TRiO, and Veterans Advisors. During your first semester, you will take an ‘Introduction to the School’ course that will outline the various College offices and departments that can help you on your path.
Career Outlook
Job Roles
Registered Nurse, Nurse Practitioner
Industries
Healthcare, Education, Legal, Publishing
Careers
Registered Nurse
Nurse Practitioners
Employment and wage data by occupation are based on the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey, which collects information from approximately 51,000 businesses. bls.gov
Faculty Spotlight
Get Started Today
New RCC Applicants: Apply to the College/Nursing Program
The Fall 2025 Nursing application has closed as of April 15. All admission decisions will be released to Fall 2025 Nursing applicants by mid-May.
If you are interested in applying to the Nursing program, we encourage you to start at the College as Undecided Seeking Nursing, Healthcare Sciences, or Natural and Physical Sciences degree. Applications to the Nursing program for the spring 2026 semester will open August 1. The spring semester will close on October 15. NOTE: Applications for the spring will be reviewed after October 15 and admissions decisions will be sent by no later than mid-November.
- New Students: If you are applying to the College as a new student, please complete the College’s Online Application. When choosing your program of study, please choose either Undecided Seeking Nursing, Healthcare Sciences, or Natural and Physical Sciences as your program of study. The Nursing application will automatically be included in your application form and no additional application will be required.
- You will be admitted to the College for the degree program you applied for on the application (i.e. Undecided Seeking Nursing, Healthcare Sciences, or Natural and Physical Sciences). Applicants will be notified if they are admitted to the Nursing program for fall 2025 by May. For students who have not been accepted into Nursing, you are encouraged to start at RCC in the original program you were accepted to and seek advisement from your advisor on the Student Success Team.
- For further instructions on how to apply, take your placement tests, apply for Financial Aid, and register for classes at RCC, visit sunyrockland.edu/enrollment/.
- Students must reapply to RCC if they already enrolled but have not taken classes for two consecutive semesters.
- We encourage you to attend a Nursing Information Session to understand the application process.
Current Students: Complete the Nursing Application
The Fall 2025 Nursing application has closed as of April 15. All admission decisions will be released to Fall 2025 Nursing applicants by mid-May. The Spring 2026 Nursing application will open on August 1 and will close on October 15, 2025.
College Level Placement in English and Mathematics
Students must place at ENG 10100 or ENG 10110 and MAT 10010/10010 Support Module or MAT 10110/10110 Support Module, or higher, in order to apply to the Nursing Program. Establishment of placement levels may take place through any of the following methods:
- Transfer credits: Students who wish to have credits evaluated should have all official college transcripts, from all previous colleges and universities attended, sent to: Rockland Community College, Records, 145 College Road, Suffern, NY, 10901. RCC accepts eTranscripts directly from participating colleges and universities. All college eTranscripts should be emailed to [email protected]. Please do not send them to Nursing.
- Placement Exemptions: For information on placement exemption criteria, please go to sunyrockland.edu/admission/enrollment/placement-testing/
- Assessment Examinations (ACCUPLACER Tests): Students who do not receive placement exemption or transfer credit for English and/or Math must take an assessment test(s). A schedule of test dates and study information is available at sunyrockland.edu/admission/enrollment/placement-testing/accuplacer-schedule.
If the placement result for English is ESL, these courses must be successfully completed prior to applying to the Nursing Program.
Nursing Pre-Admission Exam (ATI TEAS®)
All applicants must take the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS®), which measures basic essential skills in the academic content areas of reading, mathematics, science, and English and language usage. In order to apply to Nursing, students must score a minimum of 58.7% (proficient) on the TEAS exam. Nursing admission is competitive and based on TEAS scores within the cohort for which you are applying.
TEAS exams will be held on campus on the following dates for RCC students applying to the Nursing Program: February 7th, 21st, March 7th, 11th, 13th, and April 4th, 11th. Please go to https://www.atitesting.com/teas/register for more information and to register for the ATI TEAS exam.
Students may choose to take the exam at any location where the TEAS is offered, as long as it includes the academic content areas listed above.
Starting April 16, 2025, the RCC Nursing Program will no longer accept ATI TEAS exam scores from online exams that are remotely proctored.
Information on RCC’s TEAS Preparatory class can be found at https://sunyrockland.edu/community/community-courses/.
TEAS exam results must be dated within one year of submitting the application. TEAS scores must be submitted directly to RCC from ATI by following the directions in this link:
https://help.atitesting.com/how-do-ati-teas-transcripts-and-score-submissions-work.
Upcoming ATI TEAS Dates and Registration Information
The ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS®) exam measures general knowledge in various content areas.
TEAS exams will be held on campus on the following dates for RCC students applying to the Nursing Program: February 7th, 21st, March 7th, 11th, 13th, and April 4th, 11th.
Click on this page for more details: https://www.atitesting.com/teas/register.
ATI may be reached at 1-800-667-7531 if you need additional information.
For information on testing accommodations, contact Accessibility Services at [email protected]. “Accommodation Letters” must be forwarded to [email protected] at least 7 business days prior to the scheduled exam in order to receive accommodations.
LPN Pathway to RN
Additional admission criteria specific to students with a current Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) license may be found at LPN to RN Degree Sheet.
Note: Please be advised that a prior felony conviction may impede the ability of a student to complete the requirements of certain academic programs and to meet licensure for certain professions. Once accepted to the Nursing Program, students will be required to undergo a criminal background check and drug screening.
Background Check and Drug Screening
*To be completed only after acceptance to the Program and instructed by the Nursing Office.
RCC Nursing students who participate in a clinical experience are required by clinical sites to undergo a criminal background check and drug screening.
Students who test positive on the drug screening may be dismissed from the RCC Nursing Program. Additionally, students who are not cleared for the criminal background check will be dismissed from the Program. Students who test positive on the drug screen and/or students who are not cleared for the criminal background check are eligible to reapply once they are able to successfully complete the drug screening and/or have cleared up the issues on their criminal record.
Students are solely responsible for the costs for the criminal background check and drug screening. Students must utilize the services of Castle Branch.
The drug screening follows the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) guidelines and screens for ten (10) substances as designated in the Substance Abuse Panel 10 (SAP 10). The substances are: Amphetamines, Opiates, Marijuana, Barbiturates, Metabolites, Methadone, Phencyclidine-Propoxyphene, Benzodiazepines, Cocaine metabolites, Methaqualone.
Please go to CastleBranch RCC Nursing Portal to register for the criminal background check and drug screen once instructed by the Nursing Office.
Note: Please be advised that a prior felony conviction may impede the ability of a student to complete the requirements of certain academic programs and to meet licensure for certain professions.
Applicants seeking information on how a felony or misdemeanor conviction may affect their ability to be licensed, should contact the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions at 518-474-3817.