UW News

March 31, 2000

University of Washington School of Nursing again No. 1 in U.S. News’ rankings of America’s Best Graduate Schools

The University of Washington School of Nursing has again been ranked as the best nursing school in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of graduate programs.

The magazine’s latest survey of graduate and professional schools will be published in a special guide, “America’s Best Graduate Schools.” Select rankings will be listed in the April 10 issue of the magazine. Both issues will be available on newsstands on Monday, April 3. The rankings will also be available at www.usnews.com.

This is the seventh time that the UW School of Nursing has been ranked No. 1 by U.S. News & World Report. The UW was first ranked No. 1 in 1984 in a first-ever national poll of schools of nursing conducted by the journal “Nurse Educator.”

The U.S. News & World Report survey ranked the UW School of Nursing among the top three schools nationally in several nursing specialties: No 1. for the adult, medical-surgical nurse specialist program, No. 1 for the community and public health clinical nurse specialist program, No. 1 for the psychiatric and mental health clinical nurse specialist program, tied for No. 1 for the pediatric nurse practitioner program, No. 2 for family nurse practitioner program, No. 2 for the adult nurse practitioner program, No. 2 in the gerontological (older adult) nurse practitioner program and No. 3 in the nursing service administration program.

The UW School of Nursing’s national reputation for excellence has earned it more research grants than any other school in the nation. It also has the greatest number of fellows in The American Academy of Nursing.

Dean Nancy Fugate Woods said she is delighted with the continued recognition, but says the school’s real focus is not on rankings, but the excellence of the programs.

“Our school has a unique blend of outstanding faculty, staff and students. We have a passion for excellence that permeates our academic programs, research and public service,” Woods said. “As nurses, we are privileged to touch people’s lives, and that imbues our work with special meaning.”

The U.S. News rankings were based on surveys sent to deans, faculty and administrators of the nation’s accredited nursing schools with graduate programs. Respondents were asked to rate each school according to its reputation for scholarship, its curriculum, and the quality of faculty and graduate students.

Other top nursing schools were, in order, University of California at San Francisco, University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins, University of North Carolina, Case Western Reserve, Oregon Health Sciences University, University of Illinois, University of Maryland and University of Colorado.