Didn’t really want to make a whole thread out of this but… I was just wondering why UPenn nursing isn’t talked about very much on this thread as it is the top nursing school in the nation.
I don’t know of any credible source of rating undergrad nursing programs. US News rates graduate programs.
With any major at any large university, it is important to separate a university’s reputation for graduate programs and research, vs. their undergrad education.
U. Penn does have very good need based financial aid.
I took a look at the niche .com site you linked. It appears to rank colleges based upon stars submitted by all of the students who submit a ranking. However, I didn’t see anything that pertains to nursing, except that those colleges happen to have nursing programs.
Hi @futurenurse23 we went through the selection process for top direct entry BSN programs a year ago. We found that the ranking process is difficult. BSN rankings are scattered across different ranking sites. Try bringing up the same program across various rankings sites (such as college choice, niche or college factual) and you might see the discrepancies. We quickly turned to other factors to help with our selection. While numbered to help with formatting to make easier to read they are not in any order.
- direct entry status - varies from program to program what it actually means. minimum progression requirements?, dedicated nursing adviser to ensure students get required classes?
- proximity to hospitals for clinicals - how far are these to campus?, how many hospitals participate with clinicals?
- size of school and surrounding city - what’s the best fit for you? how many students per cohort, start times?
- quality of nursing lab - ?
- NCLEX pass rate - a stat that can be manipulated as discussed in this forum, but a check the box data point
- Merit award criteria / cost of attendance - can you afford it especially if you are out of state? criteria to renew merit?
- road map / 4 year plan - % of students graduate in 4 years? if program takes longer is that covered by merit? AP/DE counts toward what courses?
- opportunities such as study abroad, externship/internship resources, masters program - to name a few. lots to consider
Your list may vary. And many of these you have to ask questions such as during campus tours, phone calls, emails and even posting questions right here at this forum. It’s nearly impossible to get the answers for your list by looking at one site’s rankings.
Why no discussion of U Penn - for us it was that D didn’t want to consider any schools in Pennsylvania. Everyone’s list of key criteria is different. There’s no single ranking system that fits all.
I went to grad school at U. Penn (not for nursing) and the university has a great deal to offer. It is usually considered one of the better nursing programs. However, I don’t know of any way to determine that it is the best. Most students will not consider it because they have so little chance of being admitted. Other students will not consider it because it is so expensive if you are not eligible for substantial need-based aid.
If you think you can get in and afford it (or if you are low EFC) it’s worth applying to. It’s one of the very few undergrad Nursing schools that want applicants to have taken the Chem Subject Test though.