BSN Nursing program ranks #19 in national Best Colleges in U.S. News & World Report

Sept. 24, 2024
By Ann Hess, U of A Nursing, Office of Marketing & Communications
CON_building

The University of Arizona College of Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program significantly improved its rankings in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best College Ranking list, released September 24.

The BSN program made an enormous leap nationally among public universities, climbing to No. 19, a forty-eight-place increase from the 2024 national list. This new ranking now places the nursing program at No. 1 in Arizona.

“We take tremendous pride in the quality of education we provide to our students, and these rankings are a clear indicator that the U of A College of Nursing is one of the top destinations for nursing education in the country,” said Brian Ahn, PhD, dean of the College of Nursing. “I am confident that this upward trajectory will continue as we remain at the forefront of healthcare education. “We are proud to be one of the first in the nation to offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program that incorporates integrative health practices. Our goal is to prepare the next generation of compassionate and highly-skilled nurses who will positively impact healthcare outcomes.”

The U of A College of Nursing offers two distinctive BSN programs that prepare students to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination in Nursing (NCLEX-RN), a nationwide examination for licensing Registered Nurses in the United States. The BSN conventional pathway, available at the U of A Health Sciences campus in Tucson, AZ, is a two-year program delivered almost exclusively in person, offering a technologically advanced course of study. The program admits 62 students each fall and spring semester, totaling 128 students per year.  Another program is an accelerated BSN, Integrative Health pathway, offered in Gilbert, AZ, that focuses on holistic care, considering mental, physical, and spiritual health when treating patients. This hybrid program runs for 15-17 months and offers the Nursing core classes online with labs, simulations, and clinicals taught in person. The program admits 72 students each fall, spring, and summer semester, totaling 216 students per year. Students graduate a semester before the traditional program and can access Gilbert’s advanced simulation lab.

This latest accolade now puts the U of A College of Nursing in the top twenty in three key areas:

  • NIH research funding is No. 19 nationally and No. 13 among public institutions.
  • U.S. News and World Report ranks the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at No. 19 nationally, No. 10 among public institutions, and No. 1 in the state of Arizona.
  • U.S. News and World Report ranked the BSN program No. 19 nationally overall, No. 13 nationally among public universities, and No. 1 in the state of Arizona.

Betty Parisek, Ed.D, MSN, RN, Associate Clinical Professor, and Interim Nursing and Health Education Division (NHE) Chair said, “As NHE continues to provide quality education to our future nurses, we recognize that a sound program of study is only as good as the faculty who teach in our prelicensure programs. This ranking is an achievement of our faculty, and we sincerely thank the faculty in our BSN and BSN-IH programs who consistently and with dedication support our students’ retention and success.”

Read more about other U of A ranking gains in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings report.