North Carolina Board of Nursing Approval
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) offered by the Teresa B. Caine School of Nursing received full approval from the North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON) in May 2024, after its inaugural class graduated with a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX, the national licensing exam for registered nurses. Full approval is reviewed every 10 years.
University Accreditation
High Point University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
Founding Dean Dr. Racquel Ingram
Dr. Racquel Ingram, Ph.D., RN, the founding dean, brings over 28 years of nursing experience and 24 years of nursing leadership. She was re-elected in 2025 to chair the North Carolina Board of Nursing for a third year, is an Amy V. Cockcroft Nurse Fellow in Nursing Leadership and was accepted into the National League for Nursing LEAD program. She is known locally and internationally for research in health literacy.
100% NCLEX-RN Pass Rates
The Class of 2026 earned a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN, 12 points above the national rate for first-time test takers educated in the U.S. The inaugural Class of 2024 also passed at 100%.
“High Point University’s Teresa Caine School of Nursing challenged me to grow both personally and professionally, helping me build confidence in my clinical skills and critical thinking.”
Alexandria Register, now an emergency department nurse at Cone Health
$350 Million in Health Care and Science
HPU has invested $350 million in health care programs and science facilities, including Parkway Commons, the 50,000-square-foot home of the School of Nursing.
Nursing Program Rankings
College Factual ranked High Point University #7 in its 2027 Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina list. The list weighs graduation rates, earnings after graduation, affordability and program focus. HPU also ranks #31 in the Southeast Region.
RegisteredNursing.org ranked High Point University #6 in its 2027 Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina list, which ranks programs by first-time NCLEX pass rates.
Faculty Honors
- Dr. Lorrie Davis-Dick was elected vice president and governance committee chair of the National Consortium of Academic Nurse Educators for 2026-2027 and named the 2025-2026 Faculty Innovator by HPU’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning.
- Drs. Rachel Phelps, Stefanie Smoot and Lorrie Davis-Dick have served the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science Advice and Guidance for Emergencies (SAGE) program.
- Dr. Racquel Ingram received the WSSU Foundation Simon G. Atkins Champion of Education Award.
Recognition for Undergraduate Research
The Council on Undergraduate Research named High Point University the recipient of its 2025 Campus-Wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments, judged against CUR’s Characteristics of Excellence in Undergraduate Research.
High Point University Rankings
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2027 ranks High Point University #1 for Most Innovative Schools and #3 for Best Undergraduate Teaching among Regional Universities in the South. HPU also ranks #1 in its category for Earnings by Major, a new U.S. News factor that measures what graduates earn four years after leaving campus.
The Princeton Review’s Best 392 Colleges: 2027 Edition ranks High Point University #3 for Best-Run Colleges, #3 for Best College Dorms and #3 for Most Beautiful Campus. HPU is the only university in North Carolina ranked in the top 5 for all three.
Niche’s 2027 rankings place High Point University #1 in North Carolina for Best College Campuses, Best College Dorms and Best College Food, and #8 in North Carolina for Colleges with the Best Professors.
Measured by National Association of Colleges and Employers standards, 99% of HPU’s Class of 2025 was employed or continuing their education within 180 days, 13 points above the national average.
High Point University is ranked #7 in North Carolina in College Factual’s 2027 Best Nursing Schools list and #31 in the Southeast Region. RegisteredNursing.org ranks HPU #6 in its 2027 Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina list, which is based on first-time NCLEX pass rates.
Yes. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing holds full approval from the North Carolina Board of Nursing. The board granted full approval in 2024 after an on-site survey, following the graduation of the inaugural class.
High Point University is accredited by SACSCOC to award bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, and the nursing program holds full approval from the North Carolina Board of Nursing. The Teresa B. Caine School of Nursing baccalaureate degree in nursing program at High Point University is pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington DC 20001, 202-887-6791. Applying for accreditation does not guarantee that accreditation will be granted.
The inaugural Class of 2024 earned a 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate. The Class of 2026 also posted a 100% pass rate, 12 points above the national rate for first-time test takers educated in the U.S.
Dr. Racquel Ingram, Ph.D., RN, is the founding dean. Ingram brings over 28 years of nursing experience and 24 years of nursing leadership, and was re-elected in 2025 to chair the North Carolina Board of Nursing.
The degree totals 135 credits: 74 credits of general education and prerequisite courses in the first two years, then 61 credits of upper-division nursing coursework.
Students apply to the nursing program after admission to HPU. Applicants need a 3.0 cumulative GPA, a C or better in every prerequisite and an ATI TEAS score at the 60th percentile or above.
The Nursing Skills Lab has 18 low- to high-fidelity simulators, plus three high-fidelity simulation suites that prepare students to care for patients across the lifespan.
The Teresa B. Caine School of Nursing is in Parkway Commons, a 50,000-square-foot facility that is part of HPU’s $350 million investment in health care programs and science facilities.
Yes. A senior-level course brings nursing students together with the Congdon School of Health Sciences in athletic training, exercise science, medical science, physical therapy and physician assistant studies. Students can also collaborate with the Kahn School of Law and the Workman School of Dental Medicine.
Email Dr. Racquel Ingram, founding dean of the Teresa B. Caine School of Nursing, at [email protected].
Nursing in the News
Dr. Lorrie Davis-Dick
Research and Innovation: June 2025
“Serving on the SAGE program and HSAC allows me to apply my mental health expertise to real-world emergencies while strengthening the academic-practice connection for HPU nursing students,” Davis-Dick said.
HPU Raises $195 Million
Teresa B. Caine generously expanded her support for HPU in 2024 as the university launched a nursing school. The academic school is the first to be named on campus for a prominent woman leader.
Explore Nursing at High Point University
See the courses nursing students take and where HPU nursing graduates work.
Curriculum & Research Careers & Organizations
Questions about the program? Email Dr. Racquel Ingram, founding dean of the Teresa B. Caine School of Nursing, at [email protected].