UC Davis nursing school breaks into top 25 graduate nursing programs in new U.S. News & World Report rankings

(SACRAMENTO)

The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis ranks among the top 25 best master’s-degree nursing programs, according to the U.S. News & World Report 2022 Best Graduate Schools. The publication ranks the UC Davis School of Nursing’s Master’s Entry Program in Nursing and master’s-degree leadership program as 24th, up 16 spots from last year’s rankings and tied with one other program.

The School of Nursing rose 16 spots to land at No. 24.
The School of Nursing rose 16 spots to land at No. 24.

“The fact that we continue to move up in the rankings is a testament to the dedication of our faculty and staff, to our student success and the commitment of our students to successfully achieve their dreams of becoming health care providers,” said Dean Stephen J. Cavanagh. “We have proven our ability to pivot to deliver education online, adapt to provide hands-on experiences and collaborate with UC Davis Health partners to maintain critical clinical rotations. The lessons learned the past year will continue to guide us as we serve our students and, ultimately, the communities for whom we care.”

The school commemorates its 10th Anniversary during the 2020-2021 school year, as October 2020 marked ten years since the entry of the school’s first classes of master’s-degree leadership and doctoral students. Now, school leaders are creating a strategic plan to guide the school for the next 10 years and beyond.

That future includes a new degree program. The School of Nursing plans to offer a post-baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice — Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP—FNP) degree program to prepare new family nurse practitioners. The proposed three-year hybrid program combines distance-based education with on-campus immersions, the DNP—FNP program prepares advanced practice providers to engage in patient- and family-centered, evidence-based primary care.

All five of the current graduate degrees offered at the School of Nursing, including a master’s degree for family nurse practitioners, a master’s degree in leadership, the Master’s Entry in Nursing Program, a doctoral program and a master’s degree for physician assistant studies, emphasize problem solving, independent thinking and individual accountability. They aim to empower students to fulfill their learning needs and prepare them as leaders in health care.

Faculty and students work together to create environments that promote health equity and high-quality health care through innovative research, education, clinical practice and health policy. The school’s core values are:

  • Community connection
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Leadership
  • Innovative solutions
  • Collaboration

More than 650 alumni make an indelible impact on the clinics, classrooms and communities in which they serve. They embody and enact the vision of the school’s founders from bedside care to individuals and families to bold changes in health care systems across California and the nation.

For the Best Nursing Schools rankings, U.S. News surveyed the 597 nursing schools with master's-degree or doctoral programs accredited by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Of those who participated, 220 provided enough data to be included in the rankings.

The rankings are based on a weighted average of 15 indicators, including peer assessment, health care professionals’ assessment, faculty achievements and number of faculty in clinical practice, student-faculty ratio and research activity.

The complete Best Graduate Schools rankings are available on the U.S. News & World Report website.

To learn more, visit the School of Nursing website.

About the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis
The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis transforms health care through interprofessional nursing education and research. Established in 2009 through a $100 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the school offers five graduate areas of study, including doctoral and master’s-degree programs in nursing science and health-care leadership and master’s-degree programs for pre-licensure nurses, family nurse practitioners and physician assistants, with a focus on preparing primary care providers for rural and underserved communities. The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing is part of UC Davis Health, 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.