Research.com Highlights Stanbridge University’s Approach to Healthcare Education
Research.com recently featured Stanbridge University in an in-depth look at its approach to nursing and healthcare education. The article highlighted recent NCLEX-RN outcomes, accreditation, hands-on learning technology, student support, and professional development alongside national recognition for student access, graduate outcomes, and return on investment.¹

What Did Research.com Highlight About Stanbridge University?
Research.com’s feature, titled “#1 Best Nursing College in California, 98% NCLEX-RN Pass Rate, and a Carnegie Opportunity College Designation: Inside Stanbridge University’s Approach to Healthcare Education,” examined several parts of the Stanbridge student experience.¹
Key areas included:
- A 98% NCLEX-RN licensure pass rate for 2023–2025
- 2025 Carnegie Opportunity College designation
- Recognition among the top 5% of colleges nationwide for 10-year return on investment
- Institutional and programmatic accreditation
- Nursing skills and simulation laboratories
- Healthcare education technology
- Academic and student support
- Leadership and continued nursing education¹
Together, these areas provide different ways to evaluate healthcare education beyond a single ranking or outcome.
Stanbridge University’s Recent NCLEX-RN Outcomes
Research.com highlighted Stanbridge University’s 98% NCLEX-RN licensure pass rate for 2023–2025 across BSN program campuses included in the reporting period.¹ ²
| Reporting Period | NCLEX-RN Pass Rate | Testers |
| 2023–2024 | 100% | 68 |
| 2024–2025 | 95.18% | 332 |
While there are many factors to consider when comparing BSN programs, such as accreditation, curriculum, clinical education, student support, program cost, and more, NCLEX-RN performance can provide useful context about how recent graduates performed on the licensure examination.
National Recognition for Access and Return on Investment
Research.com also highlighted external recognition related to student access and post-college outcomes.¹ Stanbridge University received the 2025 Opportunity College designation through the Carnegie Classifications. Of the 2,994 colleges and universities included in the classification, 479 received the designation.³ Opportunity Colleges are identified as institutions that provide higher access to students from the communities they serve and whose graduates experience higher earnings compared with peers.³
In addition, Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce ranked Stanbridge among the top 5% of 4,600 colleges nationwide for 10-year return on investment in its Ranking Colleges by ROI (2025) report.⁴ The Georgetown analysis considers factors including earnings, tuition, and the opportunity cost of attending college.⁴ These measures provide additional context about access, graduate earnings, and potential financial outcomes.
Accreditation and How It Supports Healthcare Education at Stanbridge
Accreditation is a status granted by an independent organization when a school meets recognized educational standards. In other words, accreditation is an important benchmark for educational quality. Stanbridge University is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). Its healthcare programs also hold specialized programmatic accreditation or state approval.⁵
For example, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The BSN program is also approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing at the Orange County, Los Angeles, and Riverside campuses. The San Diego campus is pending BRN approval.²
Stanbridge’s occupational therapy programs hold applicable accreditation through the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), while its Physical Therapist Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) at the applicable campuses.⁵
Students should verify the current institutional accreditation and program-specific accreditation or approval for the programs and campuses they are considering.

Healthcare Technology and Student Support
Research.com also highlighted Stanbridge’s hands-on learning resources and student support.¹
Depending on the program, educational resources include:
- Nursing Skills Laboratories
- High-fidelity patient simulations
- Virtual reality learning
- SynDaver Synthetic Cadavers
- Therapy skills laboratories
- Rehabilitation technology⁶
These technologies provide additional ways for students to practice skills, explore anatomy, and apply classroom concepts. They complement required clinical or fieldwork education.
Stanbridge also provides resources such as tutoring, faculty support, the Learning Resource Center, Student Services, and academic assistance.²
Together, technology and student support represent two additional factors prospective healthcare students may consider when comparing programs.
What Does the Research.com Feature Mean for Students Comparing Healthcare Programs?
The Research.com feature demonstrates why students may want to evaluate healthcare education using multiple measures rather than one ranking or statistic.¹
| Factor | Why It Matters |
| Accreditation and Approval | Identifies whether applicable institutional and program standards are met |
| Pass Rates and Licensure Outcomes | Shows how recent graduates performed on applicable licensing exams |
| Clinical or Fieldwork Education | Connects academic learning with supervised practice |
| Technology and Labs | Shows what resources support hands-on learning |
| Student Support | Identifies academic and personal resources available |
| Program Length and Cost | Reflects the time and financial commitment |
Research.com’s article highlighted many of these areas in its examination of Stanbridge.
The feature also follows previous external recognition, including Stanbridge’s 2025 Carnegie Opportunity College designation and Georgetown University ROI recognition.³ ⁴
No single ranking, pass rate, or recognition tells the complete story of a healthcare program. For prospective students, comparing accreditation, curriculum, clinical or fieldwork education, outcomes, costs, program duration, and support can provide a more complete picture.
To learn more about the complete picture of healthcare education at Stanbridge, explore Stanbridge University’s healthcare degree programs, review awards and recognition, or contact Stanbridge University.
Frequently Asked Questions
Research.com highlighted Stanbridge University’s recent NCLEX-RN outcomes, accreditation, educational technology, student support, national recognition, and other aspects of its healthcare education model.¹
NCLEX-RN pass rates show how recent nursing graduates performed on the licensure examination. Students should also consider the reporting period, number of test-takers, accreditation, curriculum, clinical education, and other program outcomes.
Institutional accreditation evaluates a college or university as a whole. Programmatic accreditation evaluates a specific academic program according to standards for that profession or field.
Students may compare accreditation and approval, curriculum, clinical or fieldwork education, licensure outcomes, program length, costs, educational resources, student support, and graduate outcomes.
Students can review Stanbridge University’s official program, accreditation, pass-rate, and awards information. Applicable accreditation or state approval can also be verified directly with the relevant accrediting or regulatory organization.
Footnotes
¹ Research.com #1 Best Nursing College in California, 98% NCLEX-RN Pass Rate, and a Carnegie Opportunity College Designation: Inside Stanbridge University’s Approach to Healthcare Education https://research.com/universities-colleges/best-nursing-college-in-california-inside-stanbridge-university-approach-to-healthcare-education
² Stanbridge University, Bachelor of Science in Nursing https://www.stanbridge.edu/program/bsn
³ Stanbridge University, Awards & Recognition https://www.stanbridge.edu/awards
⁴ Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, Ranking Colleges by ROI 2025 https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/roi2025/
⁵ Stanbridge University, Accreditations https://www.stanbridge.edu/about/accreditations
⁶ Stanbridge University, Innovation & Technology https://www.stanbridge.edu/innovation-technology