Webster’s Health Sciences Programs Rise on National Grad School Rankings

Webster University’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program was named one of the top graduate nursing programs in the nation and its Doctor of Nursing Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) program was ranked by peers in the top 50 programs in the nation in the annual U.S. News & World Report 2024 Graduate School Rankings.

The Master of Science in Nursing program was ranked at #104, two spots higher than last year’s list and 31 spots higher than in 2022. This is the third year in a row the program has been named one of the best in the country. The Doctor in Nurse Anesthesia Practice was ranked as the 36th best in the nation by professors at other universities and colleges in a survey conducted by U.S. News & World Report.

“Our faculty and staff have worked hard to make sure our students receive the latest information about developments and strategies used in real-world environments, thus better preparing those students for their next career moves,” said Michael Hulsizer, dean of the College of Science and Health. “Our nursing and nurse anesthetist programs are recognized by health professionals as an important strategic partner in addressing the nursing shortage in our country. I am proud of the work our faculty and staff are doing every day in the classroom.”

According to U.S. News & World Report, the magazine surveyed 651 nursing schools with master's or doctoral programs accredited by either the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. In total, 292 schools responded to the survey, and 216 of those sent data about their master’s programs. U.S. News listed 169 of those as among the best this year. Webster University was tied on the list with University of Vermont and Winston-Salem State University. 

Data considered for the ranking included:

• A peer assessment score from a survey of deans of nursing programs across the United States.
• A survey of health care professionals.
• The average number of grants each program received.
• The percentage of faculty members who also were active practicing nurses.
• The ratio of students to professors.
• The percentage of prospective students accepted into a program, and their average GPA earned from their bachelor’s degree.
• The percentage of students in a program who finished their degree.

U.S. News & World Report also surveyed academic leaders in 12 disciplines to produce a “peer” ranking of those programs, including professors at the 651 nursing schools initially surveyed for the nursing program rankings. Out of the 131 nurse anesthetist programs included in the peer rankings, Webster’s program tied for 36th place with 14 other programs, including those run by Hofstra University, John Hopkins University and Rutgers University. That placed Webster in the top 50 overall among all nurse anesthetist programs.

Visit the College of Science and Health page to learn more about the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) and many other health and STEM programs offered by Webster University. The full Graduate U.S. News & World Report Graduate School Rankings can be found online.