Webster’s Graduate Nursing Program Named One of the Best in the Country

Webster University’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program was named one of the top graduate programs in the United States by Money Magazine this month. Among the factors Money Magazine weighed were the accreditation status of the programs, tuition cost, average student debt upon graduation, the percentage of graduates who are employed after graduation, and the average salary those students are earning.

“Our faculty does an amazing job preparing our students to become leaders and educators in the workplace,” said College of Science and Health Dean Michael Hulsizer. “They bring real-life experience into their classes and can walk students through many different scenarios that may not be in a textbook. This recognition is a testament to their efforts, and I offer my congratulations to the faculty and staff for this achievement.”

Money Magazine used data from the U.S. Department of Education’s IPED’s database, the White House’s College Scorecard, and other sources of information to measure every graduate nursing program in the United States. Schools that were considered had to be accredited, have more than 20 students in a program, be a publicly funded or independent non-profit, and have sufficient data in the public databases used for the measurement. Using that data, the Magazine determined the institution’s overall reputation among peers, the average tuition costs, the average student debt upon finishing the graduate program being measured, the employment rate as listed by the College Scorecard (the percentage of graduates who are employed within 10 years after initially starting the program), and the average salary of those graduates. An overall score was then calculated of one to five stars. Only schools that earned four or more stars were included on the list.

“Our students and faculty are absolutely committed to high quality education, and that dedication shows. MSN students are full time nurses, seeking to earn their Master’s degree, focusing on tracks in Nursing Leadership or Nursing Educator roles. Our graduates are working within the community and making Webster so proud of their accomplishments! One fact that is sometimes missed, is that many of our local healthcare institutions are Webster’s corporate partners, and pay a large amount of students’ tuition, leaving very little student debt in the Nursing Department. Over 80% of our students pay only about $2,000 total for a Master’s degree in Nursing!,” said Susan McFarlan, chair of Webster’s Nursing Department. “Receiving this recognition is an amazing honor for the department.”

This is the inaugural year for the magazine’s “best colleges” list. Only 56 institutions were selected by Money Magazine for its nursing program list.

This is not the first time Webster’s graduate nursing program has received national recognition. In April, U.S. News & World Report listed the program as among the best in its annual graduate school rankings, the second year in a row U.S. News said Webster’s nursing program was one that students should consider.

To learn more about the Master of Science in Nursing program, visit https://www.webster.edu/science-health/nursing/nursing-msn.php.