Doctor of Nursing Practice program vaults into nation’s top 10 overall
New rankings released this morning by U.S. News & World Report again place the Master of Science degree program at The Ohio State University College of Nursing at the top of the list among public institutions, with the college’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program rising among the nation’s top ten.
The traditional, in-person master’s program ranks #3 overall – up one spot from last year – and #1 among public colleges of nursing. This marks the seventh consecutive year for the MS program to rank among the nation’s top ten. Four nurse practitioner specialties under the MS program also rank among the best of the best:
- Family Nurse Practitioner: #4 (#2 among publics)
- Pediatric Primary Care: #5 (#1 among publics)
- Adult Gerontology Primary Care: #5 (#2 among publics)
- Psychiatric/Mental Health: #5 (#2 among publics)
The college’s online DNP program – which placed #19 for 2024 – vaulted to #9 overall and #5 among public institutions for 2025. This marks the seventh straight year for the DNP program to rank among the country’s top 20 programs of its kind. Three specialties under the DNP umbrella – Family, Leadership and Psychiatric/Mental Health – all rank #5 nationally and #1 among public institutions.
“The consistent excellence that our students, faculty, staff, preceptors, alumni and partners display in the classroom and in clinical settings is reflected in our consistent placement among the premier nursing colleges in the country,” said Karen Rose, PhD, RN, FGSA, FNAP, FAAN, dean and professor of the College of Nursing. “We don’t take that for granted at all. We are so grateful for the Buckeye nurses whose passion and purpose in answering their calling to care translate to high regard for our programs and, more importantly, high standards of care for patients.”
“Our faculty and students are driven to change healthcare for the better to benefit all people, and they display that drive every day,” said Becky Lorenz, PhD, RN, senior associate dean for academic affairs and educational innovation and associate professor at the College of Nursing. “We’re so proud of what they accomplish within our college, and we’re excited to soon celebrate hundreds of new nurses who will graduate from our programs, ready to provide optimal care to patients in communities large and small.”
The College of Nursing will celebrate more than 600 new graduates from its nursing and non-nursing programs at its Convocation in early May.
In January, U.S. News & World Report released rankings of online nursing programs:
- Ohio State’s online master’s in nursing program ranks #3 overall and #2 among public institutions – the 11th consecutive year in which this program ranks among the country’s top six of its kind.
- Both the online Family Nurse Practitioner (#5 overall) and the online Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (#3 overall) specializations rank #1 among public institutions in the U.S.
- Ohio State’s online bachelor’s programs – for which the College of Nursing’s RN to BSN comprises the highest enrollment – ranks #5 overall.
