U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) released its annual rankings of graduate and professional schools for 2022, and the Duke University School of Nursing was ranked #1 in each of the five MSN Specialties reviewed by the magazine. Overall, the School remained one of the nation’s best graduate nursing schools with its #3 ranking.

In addition, the School's Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program is once again ranked #4 as the Best Doctor of Nursing Practice Program in the nation for 2022 with the DNP Executive Leadership Specialty remaining in the #1 ranking.

“We are the destination for outstanding talent and have created a community of world-class scholars that support and foster a climate of excellence in research, practice and education that is reflected in these rankings,” said Marion E. Broome, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean and Ruby Wilson Professor of Nursing, Duke University School of Nursing, vice chancellor for Nursing Affairs, Duke University, and associate vice president for Academic Affairs for Nursing, Duke University Health System. “We could not maintain this high level of contributions to the profession and discipline without the hard work, commitment and personal support of our faculty, staff, students and alumni. I am proud and grateful for being a part of this exciting organization.”

 Our collective rankings are as follows:

• #3 Best Graduate Nursing School
• #4 Best DNP Program
• #1 Master's Nurse Practitioner: Family
• #1 Master's Nurse Practitioner: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care
• #1 Master's Nurse Practitioner: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
• #1 Master's Nursing Administration
• #1 Master's Nurse Practitioner: Psychiatric/Mental Health Across the Life Span
• #1 DNP Executive Leadership

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are conducted annually and are determined through a weighted average of indicators that include peer assessment, selectivity and assessment, student/faculty ratio.

This news follows the School being announced as the #10 highest ranked nursing program globally for 2021 in the QS World University Rankings for nursing.

More about our No. 1 Programs

Master's NP Family
Our 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. Our 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 Acute Care
Our 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.

Master's NP Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
The Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care major in our 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 Nursing Administration
Our 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 Psychiatric/Mental Health Across the Life Span
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. Our 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.

DNP Administration (Executive Leadership)
Our 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 certificate designed to accommodate a busy professional career and the work/life balance of our students.

These accomplishments would not be possible without the unwavering dedication and astounding work from our students, faculty and staff and without the continuing support from our alumni. We sincerely thank each and every one of you.

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