Prepared to Address the Nation’s Nursing Shortage, Rush’s College of Nursing Ranked 4th in U.S. News & World Report’s Online Programs

Rush University College of Nursing ranks 4th among 179 schools listed in the graduate nursing programs category in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 Best Online Programs list released today.

“Our online programs are designed for current nurses who want to advance their practice,” said Marquis Foreman, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of the College of Nursing.

Advanced practice nurses, functioning in both inpatient and out-patient settings at full scope of practice, can increase accessibility to high quality and cost-effective care. This is particularly true for underserved rural and urban populations. The clinical experts who advise and teach on campus are the same ones who teach our online students. Thus, our highly rated online advanced practice and leadership programs are available to nurses across the country to meet the nation’s health care needs.

The College of Nursing’s reputation for quality programming and nationally recognized faculty, made accessible through online learning, provides strong value for students seeking an advanced nursing degree.

College of Nursing faculty credentials and training were ranked 1st nationwide as part of the assessment. These account for 20 percent of the score U.S. News uses to rank online programs. The remaining 80 percent of U.S. News’ online program rankings are calculated based on the following categories:

• Engagement (30 percent): 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 to create an experience rewarding enough for students to stay enrolled and complete their degrees in a reasonable amount of time.
• Expert Opinion (20 percent): 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.
• Student Excellence (15 percent): 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.
• Services and Technologies (15 percent): 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.

Online programs build on proud history

More than 8,000 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral students have graduated from Rush University College of Nursing. The college awarded its first bachelor’s and master’s degrees in 1975, its first doctor of nursing science degree in 1980 and its first practice doctorate in 1990.

Nursing programs are offered from the master’s through the doctoral (DNP and PhD) levels. The following are the college’s degree options available online:

• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Program
  • Nursing Leadership for RNs: Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Programs
  • Advanced Public Health Nursing
  • Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
  • Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Psychiatric -Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Transformative Leadership: Population Health
  • Transformative leadership: Systems
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing Science
  • BSN-PhD
  • Master’s-PhD

About Rush University

Rush University, with more than 2,500 students, is a health sciences university that comprises Rush Medical College, the College of Nursing, the College of Health Sciences and the Graduate College.

Rush is an academic health system whose mission is to improve the health of the patients and the diverse communities it serves with nationally recognized health care, education and research, as well as a commitment to community partnerships. The Rush system comprises Rush University Medical Center, Rush University, Rush Copley Medical Center and Rush Oak Park Hospital, as well as numerous outpatient care facilities.