The Top 5 Nursing Schools in the US

If you are interested in pursuing a career in nursing, you might be wondering which nursing schools are the best in the US. There are many factors to consider when choosing a nursing school, such as accreditation, tuition, program outcomes, and reputation. In this blog post, we will list the top 10 nursing schools in the US based on the U.S. News & World Report rankings for 2023 and provide some brief descriptions of each school. We will also mention why they are ranked highest and what their requirements are in brief. Let's get started!

Duke University

Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina, and offers an accelerated BSN program for students who already have a non-nursing bachelor's degree. The program takes 16 months to complete and requires 58 credits and 800 hours of clinical experience. Duke also offers various MSN and doctoral programs, including one of the top nurse anesthesia programs in the nation. Duke is ranked first because of its high-quality education, research excellence, and NCLEX pass rate of 99%.

To apply to Duke's BSN program, you need to have a minimum GPA of 3.0, a minimum GRE score of 300, and three letters of recommendation.

Georgetown University

Georgetown University is located in Washington, D.C., and offers a traditional BSN program that takes four years to complete. The program requires 120 credits and includes courses in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, health assessment, and nursing leadership. Georgetown also offers online graduate programs in various specialties, such as family nurse practitioner, nurse-midwifery, and adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner. Georgetown is ranked second because of its reputation, faculty expertise, and NCLEX pass rate of 96.88%.

To apply to Georgetown's BSN program, you need to have a minimum GPA of 3.0, a minimum SAT score of 1360 or ACT score of 30, and two letters of recommendation.

Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and offers a traditional BSN program that takes four years to complete. The program requires 126 credits and includes courses in pathophysiology, microbiology, ethics, and community health nursing. Johns Hopkins also offers various MSN and doctoral programs, including one of the best nursing informatics programs in the nation. Johns Hopkins is ranked third because of its research impact, clinical opportunities, and NCLEX pass rate of 96%.

To apply to Johns Hopkins' BSN program, you need to have a minimum GPA of 3.5, a minimum SAT score of 1450 or ACT score of 33, and two letters of recommendation.

New York University

New York University is located in New York City, New York, and offers a traditional BSN program that takes four years to complete. The program requires 128 credits and includes courses in human development, nutrition, genetics, and mental health nursing. New York University also offers an accelerated BSN program for students who already have a non-nursing bachelor's degree. The program takes 15 months to complete and requires 51 credits and 700 hours of clinical experience. New York University is ranked fourth because of its location, diversity, and NCLEX pass rate of 94%.

To apply to New York University's BSN program, you need to have a minimum GPA of 3.2 (traditional) or 3.5 (accelerated), a minimum SAT score of 1370 or ACT score of 30 (traditional) or a minimum GRE score of 297 (accelerated), and two letters of recommendation.

University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and offers a traditional BSN program that takes four years to complete. The program requires 133 credits and includes courses in biochemistry, statistics, nursing research, and global health. The University of Pennsylvania also offers various MSN and doctoral programs, including one of the top pediatric nurse practitioner programs in the nation. The University of Pennsylvania is ranked fifth because of its innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and NCLEX pass rate of 95%.

To apply to the University of Pennsylvania's BSN program, you need to have a minimum GPA of 3.4, a minimum SAT score of 1420 or ACT score of 32, and two letters of recommendation.

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