Registered Nurse License Difficulty by State (2026)

Compare registered nurse license difficulty across 51 states. Average difficulty: 12/100. Easiest in Arizona (9), hardest in Alaska (14).

Average

Easiest

Arizona

Score: 9

Hardest

Alaska

Score: 14

#	State	Score	Grade	Label	Confidence
1	Arizona	9	A	Very Easy	50%
2	Colorado	9	A	Very Easy	50%
3	Connecticut	9	A	Very Easy	50%
4	Idaho	9	A	Very Easy	50%
5	Indiana	9	A	Very Easy	50%
6	Maine	9	A	Very Easy	50%
7	Missouri	9	A	Very Easy	50%
8	Oregon	9	A	Very Easy	50%
9	South Dakota	9	A	Very Easy	50%
10	Tennessee	9	A	Very Easy	50%
11	Vermont	9	A	Very Easy	50%
12	Wisconsin	9	A	Very Easy	50%
13	New York	10	A	Very Easy	50%
14	Rhode Island	10	A	Very Easy	50%
15	Washington	10	A	Very Easy	50%
16	Arkansas	11	A	Very Easy	50%
17	Kentucky	11	A	Very Easy	50%
18	North Carolina	11	A	Very Easy	50%
19	North Dakota	11	A	Very Easy	50%
20	Alabama	12	A	Very Easy	50%
21	Illinois	12	A	Very Easy	50%
22	Massachusetts	12	A	Very Easy	50%
23	Minnesota	12	A	Very Easy	50%
24	Mississippi	12	A	Very Easy	50%
25	Nebraska	12	A	Very Easy	50%
26	Ohio	12	A	Very Easy	50%
27	Oklahoma	12	A	Very Easy	50%
28	Texas	12	A	Very Easy	50%
29	Wyoming	12	A	Very Easy	50%
30	California	13	A	Very Easy	50%
31	District of Columbia	13	A	Very Easy	50%
32	Florida	13	A	Very Easy	50%
33	Georgia	13	A	Very Easy	50%
34	Hawaii	13	A	Very Easy	50%
35	Kansas	13	A	Very Easy	50%
36	Louisiana	13	A	Very Easy	50%
37	Maryland	13	A	Very Easy	50%
38	Michigan	13	A	Very Easy	50%
39	Montana	13	A	Very Easy	50%
40	Nevada	13	A	Very Easy	50%
41	New Hampshire	13	A	Very Easy	50%
42	New Mexico	13	A	Very Easy	50%
43	Pennsylvania	13	A	Very Easy	50%
44	South Carolina	13	A	Very Easy	50%
45	Utah	13	A	Very Easy	50%
46	West Virginia	13	A	Very Easy	50%
47	Alaska	14	A	Very Easy	50%
48	Delaware	14	A	Very Easy	50%
49	Iowa	14	A	Very Easy	50%
50	New Jersey	14	A	Very Easy	50%
51	Virginia	14	A	Very Easy	50%

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FAQ

Which state is easiest to get a registered nurse license?

Arizona has the easiest registered nurse license with a difficulty score of 9/100.

Which state is hardest to get a registered nurse license?

Virginia has the hardest registered nurse license with a difficulty score of 14/100.

Planning to get your Registered Nurse license?