How we collect our data

Our rules

• We only list programs that appear on a state agency's official list of approved nurse aide training programs.
• Pass rates are copied exactly from the state's published report, with the period and number of test takers.
• Every page shows its source and the date we last checked it.
• A city gets its own page only when it has 3 or more approved programs.
• No program can pay to appear, to rank higher or to change its status or pass rate.

Program lists

We download each state's official list of approved nurse aide training programs and keep the original file. Our scripts read the program name, address, city, ZIP code and phone number, and for Florida the state program number and approval status (for example “Probation”). We check the totals against the file itself: Florida's list states its own total, and we confirm we read every row.

Pass rates

• Florida publishes first-time pass rates for every program each year. We use the yearly reports from 2019 to the latest year.
• Each program is matched to its report row by its state program number, not by name.
• Before using a row, we check that its passes divided by its test takers match the rate printed in the report. If the report's own numbers don't agree, we leave that row out rather than guess.
• When we compare programs or award a label like “Highest 2025 pass rate”, we only include programs with at least 10 testers.

Program types

States don't publish a program's type, so we group programs by the wording of their names: high schools, colleges, hospitals, nursing or care facilities, and career or technical schools. Names that don't say what they are stay in “Other”. We label these groupings as name-based wherever they appear.

Locations and distances

“Programs within 25 miles” uses the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 ZIP code locations. We measure straight-line distance from the middle of a city's programs to each program in other cities, so driving distance will be longer. Programs whose ZIP code isn't in the Census file, such as some PO boxes, are left out of distance lists.

Verified program details

Details like cost, length, class times and languages come only from a program's own official page. Each one shows a link to that page and the date we checked it. So far we have verified details for 2 programs, and we add more over time.

How often we check

We re-check each state list about once a month, and add new pass-rate reports when the state publishes them. Every page shows the date of its last check.

Sources

Found a mistake?

Programs open, close and lose approval. If something here is out of date, the state's list is the final word. Tell us and we'll check it against the latest official list.