TEAS Score Requirements: What Real Nursing Programs Ask For

There is no universal TEAS passing score. Each nursing or allied-health program sets its own cut score, its own retake limits, and its own score-validity window — and the spread between schools is wider than most applicants assume. The only requirement that matters is the one published by the programs on your list.

To show the range, here are program requirements we verified directly from official school pages on August 31, 2026. Rules change every cycle — always confirm on the school's own page (linked) before you plan around a number.

Verified examples (checked 2026-08-31)

Texas State University (BSN) — Proficient 70% minimum for the general pool; the priority pathway for current TXST students requires Advanced 85%. Accepts the first two attempts in the application period, with at least 30 days between them. Source: nursing.txst.edu

Towson University (BSN) — minimum is the Proficient band, "a total score of 58.7 or higher," but the same page notes the competitive average is 85–86%. Two attempts per application period; higher score counts; scores valid two years. Source: towson.edu

Youngstown State University (ADN) — overall 66% or higher; scores valid two years; retakes allowed twice within 12 months with a 14-day wait between attempts; only official score reports accepted. Source: ysu.edu

Los Angeles City College (ADN) — composite 62.0% or higher; a failed attempt requires a remediation plan within one year before retesting, and the retake must clear 62.0% in each subject category, not just overall. Source: lacc.edu

University of Arkansas–Fort Smith (ADN) — minimum 58.6% on the TEAS, taken before the application deadline. Source: uafs.edu

Excelsior University (ASN) — minimum composite 58.7% in a single attempt; scores valid only one year before application; testing limited to twice per calendar year. Source: excelsior.edu

How to read these numbers

Three patterns matter more than any single row. First, minimum ≠ competitive: Towson's floor is 58.7, and its admitted average is nearly thirty points higher. Treat published minimums as the price of entry, not the target — ATI's own FAQ calls roughly 70–75% competitive, and selective programs sit above that.

Second, the fine print differs as much as the numbers: attempts per cycle (two is common), waits between attempts (ATI's own 14-day rule plus school rules like TXST's 30 days), validity windows from one year to two, and per-section requirements like LACC's. A score that works at one school can be unusable at another for reasons that have nothing to do with the number.

Third, every one of these rules rewards starting early. If your first attempt lands short, the difference between a calm retake and a missed cycle is whether you left room for the waiting period. Baseline yourself now with a timed TEAS practice test, read your target programs' pages, and work backward from their deadlines. The TEAS 7 format and scoring guide explains what the bands and equated scores on your report mean.

This page lists a small, verified sample to illustrate the range — it is not a directory of every TEAS-requiring program. Requirements above were read from the linked official pages on the date shown and belong to the respective schools.