Published April 29, 2014
The University of Louisiana at Monroe’s Kitty DeGree School of Nursing has been ranked
as the number nine nursing school in the nation by CollegeAtlas.org in its “A-List,”
or list of top United States Nursing Schools for 2014.
ULM was the only school in the state to make the top 10, and was one of only two schools
in the south to make the top 10.
“To be informed of yet another accolade earned by one of our programs carries a sense
of pride for me and our community,” said ULM President Dr. Nick J. Bruno.
“Our service region and employers who utilize ULM’s healthcare professionals should
be pleased that our grads and our program are viewed as some of the best in the country.”
According to the methodology, the “A-Lists” of CollegeAtlas.org were created to provide
a fresh, unbiased look at college ranking systems.
Instead of highlighting elite, exclusive, or expensive schools that cater to the few,
the “A-Lists” were created with a focus on affordability and accessibility in addition
to academic quality.
Academic quality rankings were assessed by “an institution’s categorization and rank
published in the annual U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges rankings.
This takes into account a significant number of factors and is generally considered
the gold standard for college rankings emphasizing academic quality and reputation.”
"The Kitty DeGree School of Nursing is excited about the news of our ranking as number
nine on the College Atlas "A-List" of nursing programs throughout the nation," said
Dr. Emily Doughty, director of the school.
"This ranking verifies the outstanding opportunities at The University of Louisiana
at Monroe and the exceptional education available in the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing."
"In addition, this validates the quality of our faculty and students. The School of
Nursing continues to build upon the foundation of excellence for which it is known,
and strives to create an environment in which our students develop a passion for the
practice of nursing."
Nursing schools were judged on four main criteria: their cost of attendance, their
acceptance rate and enrollment size, their academic quality, and their nursing rankings.
According to CollegeAtlas.org, ULM’s nursing ranking was based on the university’s
overall “A-List” score as well as its NCLEX-RN pass rate. The NCLEX-RN pass rate validates
that those who graduate with a nursing degree are able to pass their board tests and
practice as nurses. Using a custom algorithm to blend these attributes, the “A-List”
nursing rankings reveal colleges and universities across the country which offer unbeatable
nursing programs.
With a 91.3 percent acceptance rate and a top 10 percent board exam pass rate combined
with relatively small class sizes and average cost of in-state attendance, ULM cemented
its place at number nine on the list.
To view the rankings, visit collegeatlas.org/top-nursing-schools-2014.html
