Continuing its mission of shaping the nursing profession and the health care environment by developing leaders in education, research, and practice, the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) has again ranked in the top 10 across the board for public schools of nursing — and moved up in all six categories in which the school is ranked — in the newly released 2024 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools,” out of 651 accredited nursing schools surveyed.
Both UMSON’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and its Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs climbed in the rankings among all schools surveyed, with DNP tied at No. 8 (up from No. 15 last year) and MSN at No. 20 overall (up from No. 25 last year). Among public schools of nursing, the DNP program is tied at No. 4 and the MSN is ranked No. 9.
Two UMSON specialties lead the way in the rankings, both ranked No. 1 (tied) nationwide among public schools of nursing:
- The DNP Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty, tied at No. 4 among all ranked schools
- The MSN Health Services Leadership and Management specialty, No. 2 among all ranked schools
UMSON also is ranked in the top 10 among public schools of nursing for its:
- Family Nurse Practitioner Doctor of Nursing Practice specialty (No. 3)
- DNP Nurse Anesthesia specialty (No. 7, tied)
“It is gratifying to continue to be recognized nationally for our Doctor of Nursing Practice program and our Master of Science in Nursing program,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing. “The School of Nursing plays a vital role in our collective efforts in Maryland and nationally to increase the number of nurses with advanced education, particularly at the doctoral level. It is essential that we have nurses who are well prepared to meet the changing needs of patients, their families, and our communities at a time when we face increasing complexity in our health care system, growing diversity in our population, and persistent gaps in access to needed care.”
The U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on a variety of indicators, including student selectivity and program size, faculty resources, and research activity, and on survey data from deans of schools of nursing that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
In fall 2023 and early 2024, U.S. News surveyed 651 nursing schools with master’s or doctoral programs. In total, 292 nursing programs responded to the survey. Of those, 216 provided enough data to be included in the rankings of nursing master’s programs and 188 provided enough data to be eligible for inclusion in the ranking of DNP programs. Many institutions were ranked in both, using overlapping data.