Rankings Methodology
At the core of our mission is the commitment to providing the most current, precise, and relevant information possible. Our primary objective is to empower individuals with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions when selecting an educational program in nursing education. To achieve this, we have established a comprehensive ranking process for our annual NurseEducator.com program rankings. Learn more about how we craft our rankings below.
Data Sources
We meticulously gather our rankings data from reputable and esteemed organizations and sources that are widely recognized for providing accurate and reliable publicly available information. Some of these include:
- The Council for Community and Economic Research
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
- U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE)
Methodology
Our ranking methodology is started by compiling a comprehensive database of nursing education programs. This meticulous effort involves various approaches, including the submission of multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to ensure the inclusion of all relevant data.
Once this data was collected and a database was formed, we filtered out the programs that had:
- No enrollment information via IPEDS
- Have closed or will be closing at the time of data collection
The next step in the process was to form our rankings into a "points" system based on the following factors:
- Acceptance and completion rates of the program
- Years of experience/tenure of faculty
- Accreditation status
- The size of the school/department
- Competitiveness of the institution
- Annual tuition and program costs in relation to the local cost of living
- The diversity of programs offered
Concerns, Questions, and Corrections
If you have any additional concerns or questions, or see some information that may warrant a correction, please do not hesitate to let us know through our contact form.