U.S. News & World Report ranks new UC Davis School of Nursing among best

The publication ranks the UC Davis School of Nursing as 43rd, tied with University of Connecticut, University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston, Washington State University and Wayne State University in Michigan. Since the publication only ranks nursing schools every four years, this was the first year UC Davis was eligible for inclusion in the survey. One unique measure used is achievement of graduates. UC Davis conferred the first Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership Master of Science Degrees in 2012.

“To enter the ‘U.S. News and World Report’ rankings the first year the school is eligible speaks volumes about the commitment of our faculty to develop innovative nursing programs with a vision to transform health care through nursing education, leadership and research,” said Heather M. Young, associate vice chancellor for nursing at UC Davis and founding Dean of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing. “This ranking also illustrates that Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership students are just as eager to advance health in our communities.”

Programs at 503 nursing school’s with master’s or doctoral programs accredited by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing were surveyed for the ranking; 273 responded and 246 were eligible to be included in the rankings of master’s-degree programs. The rankings are based on a weighted average of 13 indicators, including a quality assessment by nursing school deans, student selectivity and achievement, faculty resources, research activity and overall rank.

The Master of Science — Leadership Degree Program is one of four programs led by the Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership Graduate Group, an interprofessional team of more than 50 faculty members from disciplines including nursing, medicine, health informatics, nutrition, biostatistics, pharmacy, sociology and public health.

Graduates of the master’s-degree leadership program are prepared for academic and leadership positions. Alumni are leading in a variety of health-care positions across the region and also serve as faculty at the community-college level.

“This master’s-degree program is unique because it attracts those nurses who want to lead improvement of health in our community,” Young said. “UC Davis graduate nursing students seek to focus on important societal health issues, as well as the important work of advancing health and improving the systems that provide health services.”

The program first opened in 2010 and that inaugural class of 25 graduated in spring 2012. There are now 72 alumni of the program.

The rankings appear in the April 7 edition of “U.S. News & World Report” magazine, available March 10. They are also published in the book “America’s Best Graduate Schools 2016,” available for purchase on April 7.

For more information about the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, visit nursing.ucdavis.edu.

About the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis

The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis was established in March 2009 through a $100 million commitment from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the nation's largest grant for nursing education. The vision of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing is to transform health care through nursing education and research. The school’s first programs, doctoral and master’s degrees, opened in fall 2010. Master’s degree programs for nurse practitioners and physician assistants, with a focus on preparing primary-care providers for rural and underserved communities, opened in summer 2013. The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing is part of UC Davis Health System, an integrated, academic health system encompassing the UC Davis School of Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center and the UC Davis Medical Group. For more information, visit nursing.ucdavis.edu.