This study examined changes over time in critical thinking skills in students entering an associate degree nursing program in the fall of 2002 and graduating in the spring of 2004 at a small liberal arts university located in the southeastern United States. The purposes of this study were to examine changes over time in critical thinking skills in students enrolled in an associate degree nursing program and to explore the relationship between critical thinking scores and academic success. (C) 2007 National Organization for Associate Degree Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.