ROCKFORD — The OSF St. Anthony College of Nursing program has been ranked as the No. 5 RN program in the state of Illinois, according to RegisteredNursing.org.

The site uses NCLEX-RN exam pass rates for all RN programs, including ADN, BSN and direct-entry MSN, to obtain its rankings. Schools are ranked according to their ability to prepare students to pass the NCLEX-RN exam, which allows graduates to enter the profession.

St. Anthony’s BSN program on the Rock Valley College campus came in just ahead of Chicago’s Rush University MSN course, one of the most recognized nursing programs in the nation.

Among other area schools, Kishwaukee College in Malta was ranked 12th for its ASN program; Trinity College in Rock Island 16th for its ASN and BSN programs; and Northern Illinois University’s BSN program came in 31st in the state.

Across the border, Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville ranked 10th in Wisconsin, according to the website.

For more details on the rankings’ methodology, visit registerednursing.org/rn-ranking-methodology. For the complete rankings of nursing schools in Illinois, visit registerednursing.org/state/illinois/#rankings. R.