Today, many prospective nursing students choose to pursue a degree online due to the flexibility it provides in schedule and in terms of location.
College Choice recently published its annual ranking of best online master's programs in nursing to help people seeking to earn a nursing degree while currently employed.
"Prospective nursing students can now elect to pursue a degree online, which is extremely important for those who are already working in the field or are looking to transition from their current jobs. Online learning provides significant flexibility both in schedule and in terms of location, as one can live in one state while earning a degree in another," Katie Amondson, associate editor of the ranking, said in a prepared statement.
The College Choice list ranks schools based upon their academic score, quality of faculty, technology and support, online engagement, cost of out-of-state and part-time tuition and average pay for graduates. The data was derived from a variety of publicly available sources, including U.S. News & World Report, the National Center for Education Statistics and PayScale.com.
The ranked schools, in descending order, include:
1. Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston)
2. St. Xavier University (Chicago)
3. University of South Carolina (Columbia)
4. University of Massachusetts - Amherst
5. University of Colorado - Denver
6. Ohio State University (Columbus)
7. University of Nevada - Las Vegas
8. Stony Brook (N.Y.) University - SUNY
9. Graceland University (Independence, Mo.)
10. Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore)
11. University of Texas - Tyler
12. Duke University (Durham, N.C.)
13. University of Texas Medical Branch - Galveston
14. George Washington University (Washington, D.C.)
15. Clarkson College (Omaha, Neb.)
16. Duquesne University (Pittsburgh)
17. Clarion (Pa.) University of Pennsylvania/Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
18. University of Central Florida (Orlando)
19. Loyola University New Orleans
20. American Sentinel University (Aurora, Colo.)
21. East Carolina University (Greenville, N.C.)
22. Rush University (Chicago)
23. Georgia College & State University (Milledgeville)
24. University of Texas - Arlington
25. Ball State University (Muncie, Ind.)
26. Western University of Health Sciences (Pomona, Calif.)
27. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (Lubbock)
28. Frontier Nursing University (Hyden, Ky.)
29. University of Missouri - Kansas City
30. Drexel University (Philadelphia)
31. University of Delaware (Newark)
32. University of Arizona (Tucson)
33. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
34. University of Southern Indiana (Evansville)
35. University of Pittsburgh
36. University of North Carolina - Greensboro
37. University of West Georgia (Carrollton)
38. University of Kansas (Lawrence)
39. Ferris State University (Big Rapids, Mich.)
40. Chamberlain College of Nursing (Downers Grove, Ill.)
41. Gardner-Webb University (Boiling Springs, N.C.)
42. Michigan State University (East Lansing)
43. Northwestern State University of Louisiana (Natchitoches)
44. Texas Christian University (Fort Worth)
45. West Virginia University (Morgantown)
46. Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.)
47. Nebraska Methodist College (Omaha)
48. Regis University (Denver)
49. Liberty University (Lynchburg, Va.)
50. Angelo State University (San Angelo, Texas)
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