America

#ffffff;" />school, they have one of the most diverse
Choosing the right school can make all thepopulations of students in any U.S. nursing
difference in your nursing career. Knowledgeable,school—as well as high student achievement
supportive instructors are the key to any goodand extraordinary faculty dedication.
nursing education, and the stronger a school is inUniversity of Virginia School of Nursing. Another
the department you want to specialize in, thetop-10% school in the U.S. News and World
easier it will be for you to pursue the nursing fieldReport, this school’s ratings have gone up
of your dreams. If you’re not sure whereconsistently every year. Within the school, the
to specialize yet, it’s generally better toPsychiatric/Mental Health and Adult/Medical-Surgical
choose a larger school that will give you exposurespecialties were given particularly high ranks.
to many different fields—and is likely toUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham School of
have a strong department in the field you choose.Nursing. This program was ranked 19th in the
Following is a list of seven of the mostcountry in the U.S. News and World Report for
well-respected nursing schools in America.the 2005-2006 year. High-ranking specialties include
University of Washington School of Nursing.internal medicine, women’s health,
Consistently ranked the top nursing school in thegeriatrics and pediatrics, and AIDS care, which
country, the University of Washington School ofwas ranked 4th in the nation.
Nursing has the largest number of fellows in theUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
American Academy of Nursing, which is a distinctLocated in Philadelphia, this school was founded in
honor. It also has global partnerships and1740 by Ben Franklin and continues to be one of
opportunities for nurses to study and workthe nation’s top nursing schools. It boasts
abroad, a cutting-edge research program, and itsa low student-to-faculty ratio, lifelong free career
graduates are among the top qualified graduatessupport to graduates, and world-class faculty. The
in their fields.school’s website states that 95% of its
UCSF School of Nursing. Located at the Universitynursing students pass the boards on the first try.
of California—San Francisco, this nursingUniversity of Michigan—Ann Arbor School
school places particular emphasis on communityof Nursing. Another consistently top-ranked
outreach. This school also has a strong researchschool, the University of Michigan’s nursing
program. It received the most research fundingschool has one of the most extensive libraries in
from the National Institutes of Health for twothe country. It’s located next to the
years in a row, in 2003 and 2004.University of Michigan Medical Health Center, with
University of Texas School of Nursing. Rankeda strong emphasis on clinical application.
among the top 10% of graduate schools in U.S.Nursing is an exciting, challenging, and rewarding
News and World Report’s 2005 survey,career. The right school can launch you into a
the University of Texas School of Nursingsuccessful nursing career, and give you the
continues to get high marks. According to thesupport you need to succeed along the way.