Rankings are the highest ever achieved in College of Nursing history
The Ohio State University College of Nursing master’s programs and doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program each jumped more than 15 spots to rank fifth in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 rankings, released today. This achievement also ranks the College of Nursing as the No. 1 public college of nursing in the country for master’s programs and No. 2 for DNP.
“When I came to Ohio State five years ago, my charge was to propel the college ahead to be a national leader in nursing education, research and evidence-based practice,” said Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, RN, CPNP/PMHNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, vice president for health promotion, chief wellness officer and dean of the College of Nursing. “I’ve encouraged our outstanding faculty and staff to dream big and persist until our dreams come to fruition. The dramatic rise in these rankings demonstrates the power of our collective dreams when combined with excellence and hard work to achieve our goals.”
The ranking from U.S. News places the college’s master’s program in the top 1.7 percent in the nation, and the DNP program in the top 2.6 percent. According to the publication, rankings were calculated using four categories of data: quality assessment by peers, student selectivity and program size, faculty resources and research activity.
“Ohio State is deeply committed to academic excellence, and we are very proud to see our exceptional nursing programs recognized among the country’s top five,” said President Michael V. Drake. “The jump in rankings confirms what we at Ohio State already know – our College of Nursing’s advanced-degree programs are leading the way in shaping the future of outstanding patient care.”
Earlier this year, U.S. News ranked the College of Nursing third in the nation for its online graduate programs.
Nurses are increasingly encouraged to continue their education and earn graduate degrees to enhance their knowledge of emerging research and apply new techniques to improve patient care, safety and outcomes. The College of Nursing offers continuing education that encourages innovative and entrepreneurial thinking to advance leadership skills in the rapidly changing field of healthcare, and it is also home to the Helene Fuld Health Trust National Institute for Evidence-based Practice, which will host an inaugural national summit this October.
The College of Nursing is conducting cutting-edge research that improves quality of life and health outcomes through its Center for Women, Children & Youth and the Center of Excellence in Critical and Complex Care, with more than 130 faculty members. Nearly 1,900 students are enrolled in the college across bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs. In 2016, the college introduced two new degree programs: master of healthcare innovation and bachelor of science in health and wellness innovation in healthcare.
