Lewes, DEprivate nonprofitwww.beebehealthcare.org/school-nursing
The Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing is Delaware's singular hospital-based nursing diploma program, a hyper-focused, no-frills institution where the clinical floor is the classroom. Its identity is forged by a relentless focus on the NCLEX-RN exam, boasting pass rates that consistently crush state and national averages, and a direct pipeline into Beebe Healthcare. This isn't a traditional college experience; it's a 22-month professional bootcamp that trades campus lawns for hospital halls, producing graduates whose median earnings outpace many bachelor's-degree holders.
More details
Outcomes & value
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Admission to the Rollins School is a direct gateway into a highly specific career track, with a process that reflects its practical, hospital-based nature. The school is a small, private institution with an enrollment of approximately 43 students. The student body is predominantly White (68.6%), with Black or African American students comprising 9.8% of the population. The admissions policy regarding standardized test scores (SAT/ACT) is not publicly defined. Prospective students are directed to contact the school directly at 302-645-3251 for application details and program information, indicating a personalized, inquiry-driven admissions approach rather than a heavily automated one. The school is categorized as a 'less-than 2-year' institution, underscoring its focused, accelerated diploma model.
Academic life here is monolithic and intense: the school offers exactly one major, Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse, to an average cohort of 22 students. The curriculum is a 'strong tradition of academic excellence and extensive clinical experience' designed with one overriding goal: licensure. This focus has earned the program a ranking as the number one nursing program in Delaware. The proof is in the pass rates. The Class of 2024 achieved a 100% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN licensure examination. The Class of 2025 maintained an exceptional 89% first-time pass rate, which still surpassed both the Delaware state average (89.66%) and the national average (86.7%). Historically, performance has been stellar, with the Class of 2018 achieving a 96.15% pass rate. The program sets explicit outcome benchmarks: an 80% or higher NCLEX-RN pass rate for graduates and a goal that 70% of students admitted to the first nursing course will graduate within three years.
Student life is defined by the school's unique position as 'the only hospital-based nursing program in Delaware.' The experience is inherently professional and integrated with the Beebe Medical Center campus in Lewes. There is no traditional residential campus; this is a commuter-style program where the hospital environment is the primary setting. Reviews and information on housing, food, athletics, and clubs are sparse, reflecting the program's concentrated nature—this is not an institution with a vibrant Greek life or D1 sports. The social and communal aspects likely revolve around cohort bonding and shared experiences in clinical rotations and intensive study sessions, all within the context of a healthcare facility.
Outcomes are the entire raison d'être of the Rollins School, and they are formidable. The ultimate metric—NCLEX-RN pass rate—has been exemplary, with recent classes hitting 100% and consistently outperforming benchmarks. For graduates, the financial return is significant. According to the canonical figure provided, the median earnings 10 years after entry are $72,380. Other sources show strong earnings growth, with reported averages of $36,427 one year after graduation and $45,519 five years after graduation. The program's graduation rate is reported as 53%. The school's direct hospital affiliation creates a clear and immediate career pathway into Beebe Healthcare and the broader nursing field, making the diploma a highly efficient credential for entering the workforce.
The cost structure is notably straightforward and relatively low for professional healthcare training. First-year tuition is set at $6,800, with additional school fees of $2,210, bringing the total first-year cost to $9,010. The reported average —the actual cost after grants and scholarships—is $17,821. Financial aid is available, with about 30% of undergraduates borrowing federal student loans, averaging $6,319 per borrower. The school itself offers numerous institutional scholarships, with some foundations associated with the school offering awards up to $5,000. It's important to note that financial aid for prerequisite courses taken elsewhere is administered through the college offering those classes, not through Rollins. The school has a Satisfactory Academic Progress policy that limits financial aid to credits not exceeding 150% of the credits required for graduation.
The Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing stands out as a pure-play, no-distraction professional engine. Its hospital-based model is unique in Delaware, creating an immersive environment where theory meets practice from day one. This isn't a liberal arts college with a nursing major; it's a focused diploma program whose success is measured in one overwhelming statistic: NCLEX pass rates. The school's ability to consistently produce classes that outperform state and national averages—including a perfect 100%—speaks to a curriculum and teaching methodology ruthlessly optimized for real-world nursing competency. For a student certain of a nursing career, it offers a fast, affordable, and exceptionally effective track to licensure and strong earnings, bypassing the broader (and more expensive) general education requirements of a four-year degree. Its identity is its outcome: producing ready-to-work nurses.


