Top nursing schools

[RunBabyRN]

http://www.collegeatlas.org/top-nursing-schools-2014.html

I thought this was interesting, especially since my school is in there! Good info for those of you checking out schools. :)

[PNW0212]

Great, thanks!

[summerskiss88]

I've heard about some great programs in TN. didn't notice any community colleges at the top of the list :/

[mamagui]

My school is super competitive and the graduates are well respected throughout the Southeast....sad to say it did not make the list either. The state school's program did, however the local reputation for graduates is certainly not better than those of my school

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

This list takes "affordability" into consideration without consideration for financial aid hence it is biased toward public schools and schools in less expensive areas of the country. Schools that are always on the top of the list for nursing programs are notably missing from this list... UPenn, Georgetown, UW, BC. I wouldn't pay lists like this much attention.

[dt70]

My school is not on the list either.

From FAQ:

1. Does the affordability portion of the A-List Nursing Rankings take scholarships and financial aid into consideration? No. A student’s ability to qualify for a scholarship or financial aid is more dependent on the student’s accomplishments and financial status than it is which school he or she attends. For this reason we decided to eliminate financial aid from the affordability portion of our rankings calculation. Focusing only on tuition gives a solid apples-to-apples comparison between the schools themselves and gives students with average financial means and academic accomplishments a more accurate picture of what each school will cost to attend.
   
   
   
   

[Cuddleswithpuddles]

This list puts accessibility (i.e. how easy it is to get in) and "bang for your buck" into heavy consideration. This is not really a list of top nursing schools in terms of prestige and pure academic quality, but definitely a useful list for people who want to get into a school that will make their investment in time and money worthwhile.

[mamagui]

I wish they would come up with a way to rank quality of education without relying on US & World News, as their "method" relies mostly on self-evaluation and opinions of professors in competing programs. I would love to see some organization do post graduation evaluation by actual students that went through the program.

[HarryTheCat, MSN, RN]

Hmmm...I'm VERY familiar with two of the schools on that list, and am puzzled by their stated acceptance rates. Just a few years ago one of those schools had over 150 applicants for 50 seats. Their minimum GPA in the pre-reqs was 3.0, but the lowest GPA they actually admitted was a 3.6. They're telling incoming freshmen that if they are interested in the Nursing program that they had better pull a 4.0 for the first two years. The other school that I'm familiar with recently expanded their program, admitting more students with lower GPAs, but they have already lost 30% of the class after the first two semesters due to drop-outs and fail-outs. They may have a high acceptance rate now, but it's tough to stay in the program.

[windsurfer8, BSN, RN]

These lists always crack me up. I have my BSN and not ONCE has anyone ever..EVER asked me where I went to school. When I first started they said "are you willing to work weekends and nights and is your license in good standing". That was it. For grad school 'maybe' it matters, but really an excellent GPA and GRE will get you into 95% of grad schools as long as you have BSN. I guess if it makes people feel good then go for it.