Duke University School of Nursing ranks #2 overall in the country and has earned several top positions in the 2023 U.S. News & World Report rankings, released Tuesday, March 29, 2022.

Among the top rankings, Duke School of Nursing leads:

• MSN programs including:
  • #1 NP - Family 
  • #1 NP - Adult-Gerontology Primary Care 
  • #1 NP - Psychiatric/Mental Health Across the Life Span 
  • #1 Nursing Administration
  • #2 NP - Adult-Gerontology Acute Care

• #2 among Doctor of Nursing (DNP) programs, including #1 for the DNP Executive Leadership Specialty

These annual rankings serve as a way to promote and elevate the School's impact in nursing education, training and influence. Duke School of Nursing is consistently recognized as a leader in nursing education and research across a range of external measures, including awards for longstanding commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion: a Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award (Insight into Diversity, 2021) and the award for Best Nursing School for Men in Nursing from the American Association for Men in Nursing. The school is also consistently among top-ranked schools for veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.

“The U.S. News rankings are an external measure of Duke School of Nursing’s leadership and contribution to nursing and nursing education,” said Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, PhD, MPH, LCSW, RN, ANP-BC, PMHNP-BC, FAAN, dean, Duke University School of Nursing, and vice chancellor, nursing affairs, Duke University. “They’re a key indicator that our peers in the nursing community acknowledge the ways our students, faculty, staff, and alumni are transforming the future of health care.”

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are conducted annually and are used to help prospective students find the programs that best fit their academic and career interests. The Best Nursing Schools rankings assesses more than 250 master’s and DNP programs on their research activity, faculty resources, student excellence and qualitative ratings from experts.

"Our rankings reflect the extraordinary work of the Duke School of Nursing community in advancing the role of nurses in health leadership,” Ramos said. “At Duke, we are leading the way in preparing the next generation of nurses who bring clinical, scientific and relational expertise to health care—and we are preparing community health and policy leaders committed to the reduction of health inequities.”

The magazine also released its 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Nursing School rankings in January, in which the School earned additional key recognitions. The organization does not rank all graduate specialties annually.

More about Duke's Top-Ranked Programs

Master's NP Family, #1

The Family Nurse Practitioner Program focuses on developing the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver nursing care to persons of all ages across primary care settings, including those in rural and underserved areas. The school’s clinical and state-of-the-art simulation techniques prepare students for clinical practice in a variety of primary care settings.

Master's NP Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, #1

The Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care major in the MSN Program focuses on developing the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver nursing care to individuals from adolescence to older adulthood across primary care settings, including those in rural and underserved areas. This major prepares advanced practice nurses as generalists in adult primary care in a wide variety of settings, including private practices, public clinics, hospital-based outpatient clinics and specialty practices.

Master's NP Psychiatric/Mental Health Across the Life Span, #1

Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners are strategically capable of providing comprehensive, integrated mental health and social care services in community-based, rural and urban health care settings. The MSN Program focuses on developing the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver psychiatric mental health advanced practice nursing to all ages, especially to those in rural and underserved areas.

Master's Nursing Administration, #1

The Nursing and Health Care Leadership Program offers a strong foundation in complex systems, organizational theory, financial management and leadership practice. Traditional health care administration content and innovative ways of thinking about organizations, management and leadership addresses the challenges of today and the future’s health care environment.

Master's NP Adult-Gerontology Acute Care, #2

The Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care Program focuses on developing the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver nursing care to individuals from adolescence to older adulthood across acute care settings, including care of individuals in rural and underserved areas. Intensive courses, state-of-the-art simulation techniques and immersion in clinical rotations maximize the learning experience and enables the student to become active members of an interprofessional health care team.

DNP, #2

Earning a DNP degree at Duke provides students with skills and tools to enable them to critically appraise published evidence to inform their practice; improve systems of care to influence patient outcomes; and make changes to enhance quality of care, when needed. The program is flexible enough to accommodate nurses working in advanced practice positions and students who have earned a bachelor's degree in nursing and now want to pursue a DNP while earning an advanced nursing practice specialty. Graduates of the DNP program go on to become nurse leaders in interdisciplinary health care teams and work to improve systems of care, patient outcomes, quality and safety.

DNP Administration (Executive Leadership), #1

The DNP Executive Leadership Specialty equips accomplished nurse leaders with the needed knowledge and skills to lead complex and ever-changing organizations and health care systems. The specialty is also offered as a post-graduate certificate designed to accommodate a busy professional career and the work/life balance of students.