The degree program and nursing school you choose plays a key role in your future nursing career. Studying in a good institution with lots of available resources will set you up to pass and excel in your career compared to learning in a mediocre nursing school. This article examines the top rated nursing schools in the US that you can join to become a professional registered nurse.
Considerations for the Top Schools
With more than 1,000 baccalaureate and ADN programs, selecting the ideal nursing school to join becomes quite a hustle. So, what did we consider when coming up with this list of the top rated nursing schools? We considered:
- Program Quality
- NCLEX pass rate
- Accreditation – luckily all nursing schools covered in the article are accredited
1. Johns Hopkins University
Typically, the graduate nursing programs entail heavy research work and this University is among the top research universities in the United States. Even though Johns Hopkins University does not have undergraduate nursing programs, it offers MSN for non-nursing majors. Any student with a non-nursing field bachelor’s degree can enroll for the MSN and take on the NCLEX. After you are through with the MSN and acquire professional experience in a real clinical environment, you can go ahead and earn the DNP at the university.
Johns Hopkins has an acceptance rate of 7% and an NCLEX pass rate of 93%. The university’s retention rate is 97%. The university ranks number three in the country for nursing and health studies.
2. University of Pennsylvania
This Ivy League University is among the oldest learning institutions in the country having been founded in 1740. University of Pennsylvania has a 6:1 student-faculty ratio which is ideal for personalized education. The university is among the top rated in the country coming in at position five in the best health education universities in the US. It primarily focuses on research throughout the program.
Here students learn in one of the top simulation labs in the country and they are also offered mentorship programs to enhance their experiential learning. The university has several undergraduate programs with students learning different fields such as global health, nursing and health services management, and nutrition among others.
University of Pennsylvania also offers DNP and MSN options with the main specializations being nurse anesthesia, nurse-midwifery, and pediatric care routes. Students looking for administrative graduate degrees can also join the university. The school has an acceptance rate of 7%, an NCLEX pass rate of 94.6%, and a retention rate of 98%.
3. University of California, Los Angeles
University of California is popular for producing high-caliber graduates making it among the top rated universities in the West. The university offers various nursing courses in the BSN degree program for students to earn a master’s degree or advance their nursing careers. The MSN options are the best in the university as they lead to an APRN specialty and also focus on leadership. Merging the two makes one a remarkable nurse in their career path.
Students can also take DNP in the university which could take only two years to complete. With an NCLEX pass rate of 84%, an acceptance rate of 9%, and a retention rate of 97%, this university is among the top rated nursing schools in the US.
4. University of Michigan
Located in Ann Arbor Michigan, this university offers nursing students a golden chance to pursue and excel in their careers. Students are not only trained on the existing practices in the field but they are also trained to create innovative best practices to advance their medical knowledge and patient care. The University of Michigan bears ample resources including equipped research facilities to offer masters and doctoral students every assistance they require to advance their careers.
The institution has two entry options for students. There is the sophomore transfer program and the direct entry for first-years. Its MSN program ranks among the top and has eight different areas that students can choose from. The MSN graduates boast of a near-perfect pass rate almost every year. The University of Michigan has an acceptance rate of 18%, a retention rate of 97%, and an NCLEX pass rate of 98% making it among the top for nursing students.
5. New York University
The New York University is based in New York with more than 21,000 international students making it a global university. Its students hail from 120 different countries and campuses in Shanghai and Abu Dhabi among other locations. New York University offers nursing students numerous undergraduate options with second-degree transfer BSN, traditional BSN degree, and accelerated 15-month BSN.
Its conventional BSN program incorporates a 128-credit curriculum with 20 credits of prerequisite courses and science, 44 liberal arts courses credits, and 64 nursing core and clinical courses credits. Nurses can choose between two master’s programs at New York University. They can either take a Ph. D or a DNP. This university has an acceptance rate of 12%, retention rate of 95%, and a pass rate of 88.3%.
6. University of Washington
Found in Seattle, the University of Washington is among the top rated nursing schools in the US. Students first have to complete clinicals at different sites in the region in top hospitals such as the Seattle Children’s Hospital. They are then made to choose innovative programs such as accelerated BSN and gain early DNP admission.
Even though the institution has a BSN option, it does not cover an MSN option. However, it has 10 DNP tracks that could land students in APRN roles like nurse midwifery, nurse specialist, or adult-gerontology. The university boasts of an acceptance rate of 48%, pass rate of 78.7%, and a retention rate of 94%.
7. University of Maryland
The University of Maryland is among the top universities, especially in nursing, innovation, and research. Found in Baltimore, the university harbors over 41,000 students every year. It’s ideal location near major cities such as Washington D.C makes it favorable for most nursing students.
The university incorporates state-of-the-art facilities to educate nursing students and focuses on nursing leadership. Nursing programs in this university take two years to complete even though some students may be required to handle some introductory courses for two years. Students interested in specializing in APRN can enroll in any DNP program. Remember every DNP has a specialty and the popular options include neonatal nurse practitioner, nurse anesthesia, and psychiatric mental health nursing.
With the school having a retention rate of 43% and an NCLEX pass rate of 90%, it proves to be among the top rated nursing schools you can join in the US.
Bottom Line
While pursuing your nursing career, one of the crucial factors to consider is the institution you enroll in. Does the school offer the nursing program you want? Is it as competitive in the country and the global arena? Are there sufficient resources to make the school journey successful? Studying in the top rated nursing schools not only equips you with the right information but also offers you the much-needed knowledge and experience to work in real-life clinical settings.