Arkansas State University’s nursing program has been ranked among the top 10 programs in the eastern region of the United States and the highest-ranked program in Arkansas, according to NurseJournal.org.
Dr. Susan Hanrahan, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions, was recently notified of the award.
“This was absolutely the best news we could have received on the second day of fall classes,” Hanrahan said in a statement. “The variables NurseJournal.org use to rank nursing programs fit our mission and philosophy perfectly. There are many nursing programs across the United States. We are very proud to be recognized as one of the top-10 programs in the eastern region — kudos to our faculty, staff and students.”
Nursejournal.org, which creates a social community for nurses around the world to educate, inform and share information, researched nursing programs in more than 1,100 schools.
ASU is ranked No. 9 in the eastern region, which includes Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, New York, Tennessee, Louisiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, Maryland, South Carolina, Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.
Rankings were divided into three major regions — eastern, central and western.
ASU’s nursing program is one of the largest on campus in terms of enrollment and ranks highly among number of undergraduate degrees conferred. Among majors by college, nursing ranks second for undergraduates and graduates.
While ASU’s is the state’s highest-ranked nursing program on the list, other Arkansas programs in the top 100 include Arkansas Tech, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of Central Arkansas, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, University of Arkansas and Henderson State University.
Rankings are based on a methodology of 19 metrics in five categories, including quality as reflected by NCLEX pass rate, nursing program accreditation, institutional accreditation and the highest award for schools that offer high-level degrees. ASU’s School of Nursing offers a continuum of nursing degrees ranging, including AASN, BSN, MSN and DNP.
The category of convenience refers to distance-education options, online or hybrid programs, and flexible scheduling. Satisfaction is determined by retention rates for first to second year and professor rating. Additionally considered in the methodology is the affordability as reflected by the tuition and fees and the determined value (salary vs. cost).
The America’s Best Nursing Schools and Colleges Eastern Top 10 list includes:
1. Georgia Regents University (Augusta, Georgia)
2. Fayetteville State University (Fayetteville, North Carolina)
3. Pearl River Community College (Poplarville, Mississippi)
4. University of Florida (Gainesville, Florida)
5. University of South Florida Main Campus (Tampa, Florida)
6. Mississippi University for Women (Columbus, Mississippi)
7. University of North Carolina-Charlotte (Charlotte, North Carolina)
8. Winston-Salem State University (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)
9. Arkansas State University
10. CUNY Lehman College (Bronx, New York)
See the full list here.
