U.S. News & World Report released its annual "Best Nursing Schools" list, with Johns Hopkins University topping the lists for both master's degrees and doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degrees.

Hard truths on the current and future state of the nursing workforce

Methodology

To determine the best nursing schools rankings, U.S. News in fall 2021 and early 2022 surveyed 601 nursing schools with master's programs or doctoral programs accredited by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Of the schools surveyed, 199 provided enough data to be included in the master's program rankings, and 158 provided enough data to be included in the DNP rankings.

U.S. News assessed each school's performance based on the weighted averages of 15 indicators for the master's ranking and 14 for the DNP ranking across four broad assessment categories:

• Quality assessment, including a peer assessment score and a health care professionals assessment score
• Student selectivity, including average undergraduate GPA, program acceptance rate, enrollment, and number of master's degrees awarded
• Faculty resources, including faculty-to-student ratio, faculty credentials, nursing practice participation, and master's degree output productivity
• Research activity, including total grants, total research expenditures, and average research expenditures per faculty member

Johns Hopkins tops the master's list

The top 10 schools for a master's of nursing degree, according to U.S. News, are:

1. Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore)

2. Duke University (Durham, N.C.) (tie)

2. Emory University (Atlanta) (tie)

4. University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)

5. University of Washington (Seattle)

6. Columbia University (New York)

7. Ohio State University (Columbus)

8. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, Mich.) (tie)

8. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, N.C.) (tie)

8. Vanderbilt University (Nashville) (tie)

Click here to see the full list.

Johns Hopkins tops the DNP list

The top 10 schools for a DNP program, according to U.S. News, are:

1. Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore)

2. Duke University (Durham, N.C.) (tie)

2. Rush University (Chicago) (tie)

2. University of Washington (Seattle) (tie)

5. Columbia University (New York)

6. Emory University (Atlanta)

7. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, Mich.) (tie)

7. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Minneapolis) (tie)

7. University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh) (tie)

7. Vanderbilt University (Nashville) (tie)

Click here to see the full list.

The best schools for 13 nursing specialties

In addition, U.S. News ranked the best schools for 13 nursing specialties. The rankings were based entirely on the assessments of nursing school deans and deans of graduate studies, who were asked to name up to 15 schools that offered the best programs in each specialty area.

• DNP Administration/Management: Rush University (Chicago)

• DNP Family: Duke University (Durham, N.C.)

• DNP Leadership: Duke University (Durham, N.C.)

• DNP Nurse Practitioner: Adult / Gerontology, Acute Care: Duke University (Durham, N.C.) and Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore) (tie)

• DNP Nurse Practitioner: Adult / Gerontology, Primary Care: Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore)

• DNP Nurse Practitioner: Pediatric, Acute Care: Rush University (Chicago)

• DNP Nurse Practitioner: Pediatric, Primary Care: Duke University (Durham, N.C.)

• DNP Nurse Practitioner: Psychiatric / Mental Health, Across the Lifespan: Duke University (Durham, North Carolina)

• Master's Nurse Practitioner: Adult / Gerontology, Acute Care: Vanderbilt University (Nashville)

• Master's Nurse Practitioner: Adult / Gerontology, Primary Care: Duke University (Durham, N.C.)

• Master's Nurse Practitioner: Family: Duke University (Durham, N.C.) and Vanderbilt University (Nashville) (tie)

• Master's Nurse Practitioner: Psychiatric / Mental Health, Across the Lifespan: Duke University (Durham, N.C.)

• Master's Nursing Administration: Duke University (Durham, N.C.)

(U.S. News & World Report doctor of nursing practice rankings, accessed 4/1; U.S. News & World Report master's in nursing rankings, accessed 4/1; Morse et al., U.S. News & World Report methodology, 3/28)