National Council of State Boards of Nursing

What National Council of State Boards of Nursing does

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) is a private, not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1978 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It is governed by a Delegate Assembly comprising 59 U.S. member nursing regulatory bodies (50 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories), together with associate and exam-user members from 35+ international jurisdictions including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Spain, Singapore, Bermuda, and Kazakhstan. NCSBN's primary functional role is to develop and administer the NCLEX examinations (NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN) using Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT), operate Nursys — the only national nurse licensure and disciplinary database covering approximately 5.7 million U.S. licensed nurses — and coordinate interstate practice mobility through the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC, established 2000) and APRN Compact.

NCSBN's product ecosystem centers on a regulated examination and data platform. NCLEX uses CAT to select exam items based on candidate ability, with Next Generation NCLEX (NGN, launched 2023) adding clinical-judgment measurement. Nursys provides license verification, e-Notify expiration alerts, and QuickConfirm employer verification, underpinned by a unique NCSBN ID that tracks nurses across systems and careers. Supporting platforms include ORBS (turnkey license management and discipline enforcement for member boards, launched 2022), NCSBN Passport (single sign-on to member-only systems), the Journal of Nursing Regulation (peer-reviewed publication), ICRS (educational courses via the International Center for Regulatory Scholarship), the Global Regulatory Atlas, and REx-PN (a Canadian practical nurse exam). Security and compliance posture includes GovRAMP Moderate authorization (re-authorized April 22, 2026), NIST 800-53 implementation of 300+ controls, PCI DSS billing compliance, Joint Commission primary-source equivalence, and NTIS accreditation.

NCSBN's revenue is generated through a hybrid of recurring and transactional streams: NCLEX examination fees, annual membership dues from 59 U.S. boards and international members, Nursys verification fees ($30 per license type per NRB), and ICRS course fees. Go-to-market is sales-led via member-board relationships, direct digital platforms (nclex.com, nursys.com, nursecompact.com, aprncompact.com), and annual events including the Delegate Assembly and Scientific Symposium. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The organization employs 101–250 staff and operates from Chicago with a Scranton mailing address; it is not PE-backed, VC-funded, or publicly traded.

Name

National Council of State Boards of Nursing

Legal name

National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc.

Website

https://ncsbn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

NCSBN is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1978 that develops the NCLEX nursing licensure examinations, operates the Nursys national nurse licensure database, and coordinates interstate licensure compacts for 59 U.S. state boards and 35+ international regulators serving 5.7 million U.S. nurses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. NCLEX Examination Fees: Revenue generated from NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN examination registration and administration fees charged to nursing candidates.
2. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from 59 U.S. member boards, associate members, and exam user members that provide access to NCSBN services, publications, and committees.
3. Nursys Verification Services: Nursys license verification services available for nurses applying for endorsement, with fees per license type per NRB.
4. ICRS Educational Programs: Revenue from the International Center for Regulatory Scholarship offering online and blended courses for nursing regulatory professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

NCSBN develops and administers the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN licensure examinations using proprietary Computerized Adaptive Testing, maintains the Nursys national nurse licensure and disciplinary database that powers licensure verification across the United States, and operates the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) and APRN Compact that enable multistate nursing practice. It serves as the convening membership body for 59 U.S. Boards of Nursing and more than 35 international nursing regulatory members, providing regulatory software, scholarship, and policy support.

Product overview

NCSBN operates as a platform organization offering multiple interconnected products and services for nursing regulation. The core offerings include the NCLEX (NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN) - the world's premier nursing licensure examinations using Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT); Nursys - the national nurse licensure and disciplinary database with verification services (e-Notify, QuickConfirm); and licensure compacts (Nurse Licensure Compact and APRN Compact) enabling multistate nursing practice. Supporting products include ORBS (regulatory board management system), NCSBN Passport (member authentication portal), the Journal of Nursing Regulation (peer-reviewed publication), International Center for Regulatory Scholarship (ICRS) for professional development, and the Global Regulatory Atlas for international nursing regulation information. Additional offerings include REx-PN (Canadian practical nurse exam), NPDB reporting services, Member Board Profiles database, and the annual Scientific Symposium. The ecosystem is unified through NCSBN Passport, which provides single sign-on access to member-only platforms including Nursys, ORBS, Hive, and FITS applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NCLEX: The world's premier licensure examinations for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN) and practical/vocational nurses (NCLEX-PN), using computerized adaptive testing technology.
• Nursys
• Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC)
• APRN Compact
• Journal of Nursing Regulation
• International Center for Regulatory Scholarship (ICRS)
• Global Regulatory Atlas
• REx-PN
• ORBS
• NCSBN ID
• NCSBN Passport

Products and services

• NCLEX (NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN) Entry-to-practice licensure examinations required for RN and LPN/VN candidates to obtain a U.S. nursing license, delivered via proprietary Computerized Adaptive Testing at Pearson VUE and Meazure Learning test centers with palm vein biometric identification.
• Nursys National nurse licensure and disciplinary database providing primary source verification, discipline tracking, and license status information for more than 5 million nurses across all U.S. jurisdictions.
• Nursys QuickConfirm Public-facing license verification service that allows employers, schools, and individuals to confirm nurse licensure status and any discipline on file.
• Nursys e-Notify Subscription service that automatically notifies nurses, employers, and nursing regulators of changes to license status, including expirations, renewals, and disciplinary actions.
• ORBS (Optimal Regulatory Board System) Configurable regulatory workflow platform that lets Boards of Nursing manage licensing applications, investigations, discipline cases, and compliance through a single cloud-based system.
• Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) Multistate licensure compact that allows RNs and LPN/VNs to hold one multistate license with the privilege to practice in all NLC member states, governed by compact-adopting state Boards of Nursing.
• APRN Compact Multistate licensure compact that enables Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to obtain a multistate license recognized across adopting member states.
• REx-PN Entry-to-practice practical nurse examination delivered to Canadian regulators and similar international partners as a Computerized Adaptive Testing-based licensure assessment.
• International Center for Regulatory Scholarship (ICRS) Educational division offering graduate-level courses, webinars, and certificate programs in nursing regulation for regulators worldwide, including regulatory educator conferences.
• Journal of Nursing Regulation Peer-reviewed scholarly publication providing original research, policy analysis, and commentary on nursing regulation, available to subscribers and member boards.
• Global Regulatory Atlas Comparative atlas that documents and benchmarks nurse regulatory frameworks across international jurisdictions for use by international regulatory members and policy makers.
• NCSBN Passport Single sign-on platform that authenticates nurses, educators, and regulators to access NCSBN tools including ORBS, Nursys, and conference registrations.
• International Nurse Regulator Collaborative (INRC) Collaborative network coordinating international nursing regulators to align standards, share data, and advance global regulatory practice through NCSBN facilitation.
• 2026 National Nursing Workforce Survey Biennial national workforce study administered in collaboration with the National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers to profile the U.S. nursing workforce.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 5.7 million licensed nurses served through regulatory services
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• National Forum of State Nursing Workforce CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026NCSBN and the National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers partner on the 2026 National Nursing Workforce Survey, running from March to September 2026. The survey aims to evaluate the long-term stability of the US nursing workforce and identify key challenges including stress, burnout, workload, and inadequate salary.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN): Represents baccalaureate and graduate nursing education programs, influencing curriculum, faculty, and research standards. Closely engaged with NCSBN on education program approval, accreditation, and workforce research; part of the Tri-Council for Nursing alliance.
• Educational Testing Service (ETS): Large-scale assessment organization operating high-stakes exams (GRE, TOEFL, Praxis for educators). Comparable to NCSBN in psychometric capability and standardized-testing operations, though with broader content scope across education and licensure.
• American Nurses Association (ANA): The largest U.S. nursing professional organization representing nurses' interests, providing certification, advocacy, and continuing education. A Tri-Council partner of NCSBN with overlapping audience of 5.7 million licensed nurses and overlapping credentialing and policy functions.
• National League for Nursing (NLN): Major nursing membership and advocacy organization focused on nursing education, faculty development, and workforce. Operates in the same nursing ecosystem as NCSBN but emphasizes education rather than licensure, providing a comparable member-based governance and policy voice.

Others

• Pearson VUE: Computer-based testing delivery partner and the actual test-center operator that administers NCLEX on behalf of NCSBN. A critical infrastructure vendor and ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, but comparable in test-delivery scale and security posture.

Direct peers

• Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB): The U.S. medical counterpart to NCSBN: a non-profit membership organization of state medical and osteopathic boards that develops the USMLE, operates the Federation Credentials Verification Service, and runs interstate compacts (IMLC). Most directly comparable in mission, structure, and product portfolio.
• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME): Co-developer and administrator of the USMLE alongside FSMB, providing high-stakes examination, psychometric services, and assessment products for medical licensure. Directly comparable to NCSBN as a specialty examination and assessment organization for healthcare professionals.
• Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN): Specialized accreditor of nursing education programs across all levels. Comparable to NCSBN's regulatory quality role, particularly ORBS and education program management modules, with similar member-board structure and standards-setting function.
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE): Autonomous accrediting body for baccalaureate, graduate, and residency nursing programs. Operates as a parallel accreditation peer to ACEN and NCSBN's education program oversight functions.

Regional players

• National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA): Non-profit membership organization enabling interstate reciprocity for distance-education institutions. Structurally analogous to NCSBN's compact model (NLC/APRN Compact) but focused on postsecondary education rather than nursing licensure, illustrating the broader interstate-compact framework NCSBN operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NCLEXInfo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NCSBNInteract
• Facebookfacebook.com/NCSBNOfficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncsbn
• Instagraminstagram.com/ncsbn

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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