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Graduate Nursing Program Ranking is on the Rise in the U.S. News & World Report

Walsh University has once again been recognized as a top university for online graduate programs by U.S. News and World Report, the recognized leader in college, graduate school and hospital rankings. 

Walsh ranked No. 252-328 for the Best Online MBA Programs, No. 192 for the Best Online Master’s in Education Programs, and No. 115 for the Best Online Master’s in Nursing Programs. For the graduate nursing programs, which pave the way for more advanced roles in administration and leadership, Walsh University moved up in the ranking list in 2022 to No. 115 from No. 124 in 2021.

Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. For the 2022 edition of Best Online Master's in Nursing Programs, U.S. News ranked schools using five categories. Here is a look at each category and its weight in the current rankings’ formula – unchanged from the previous edition.

  • Engagement (30%): In a quality program, aspiring advanced practice nurses can readily collaborate with fellow students in their classes and clinical settings. In turn, instructors are not only accessible and responsive, but they are also tasked with helping create an experience rewarding enough for students to stay enrolled and complete their degrees in a reasonable amount of time.
  • Faculty Credentials and Training (20%): Strong online nursing programs employ instructors with academic credentials that mirror those of instructors for campus-based programs, and they have the resources to train these instructors to teach distance learners.
  • Expert Opinion (20%): A survey of high-ranking academic officials in nursing helps account for intangible factors affecting program quality that statistics do not capture. Also, employers may hold in high regard degrees from programs that academics respect.
  • Services and Technologies (20%): Programs that incorporate diverse online learning technologies allow greater flexibility for students to take classes from a distance. Outside of classes, strong support structures provide learning assistance, career guidance and financial aid resources commensurate with quality campus-based programs.
  • Student Excellence (10%): Student bodies entering with proven aptitudes, ambitions and accomplishments can handle the demands of rigorous coursework. Furthermore, online degrees that schools award judiciously will have greater legitimacy in the job market.

At Walsh University’s Gary and Linda Byer’s School of Nursing, 100 percent of students are already employed when they first enroll in the master’s program.  Class size is limited to 20 students for core courses and limited to 15 for clinical courses.  All graduate-level, online nursing classes are recorded and archived so that student can access lecture material at their convenience.  Plus, all advisors are full-time nursing faculty.  The school prides itself on offering a strong academic program grounded Judeo-Christian values and real-world experience through clinical placements and Critical Care Simulation Lab Opportunities for national and global experiential learning trips.