Objective To understand the status of scientific research participation and employability of nursing undergraduates and their correlation. Methods Totally, 377 nursing undergraduate were selected and investigated using the Undergraduate Research Questionnaire and the Employability Appraisal Scale. Results Scores of scientific research participation and employability were （40.16±14.38） and （116.57±21.66） respectively. There were significant differences in the scientific research participation and employability scores among nursing undergraduates by college years, age groups, college levels, academic achievement rankings, personal planning, and scientific research participation or not （P＜0.05，P＜0.01）. Total scores and dimension scores of scientific research participation and employability of nursing undergraduates were positively correlated （P＜0.05 for all）. Conclusion The scores of scientific research participation and employability of nursing undergraduates are both at a low level; they have positive correlation, and are affected by various factors.College nursing educators should build a research and education system that covers all students and allow a sustainable participation, in an effort to improve the employability of nursing undergraduates.