U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings placed the UMSL College of Nursing DNP and MSN programs as the top public option in the greater St. Louis area and third overall in Missouri. (Photo by August Jennewein)

The University of Missouri–St. Louis College of Nursing graduate programs shone in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings.

Released today, U.S. News puts both the Master of Science in Nursing and the Doctorate of Nursing Practice programs as the top public option in the St. Louis region, and both leapfrogged the University of Missouri–Kansas City to take third overall in the state. The rankings ­– which included only accredited programs and factored in considerations such as student-faculty ratios, acceptance rates and research – placed the MSN at 83rd out of the 252 considered. The DNP, which graduated its first class this August, was 98th out of 182.

“This strong valuation from U.S. News demonstrates that our clinical doctoral degree already follows in the tradition of our master’s program,” said College of Nursing Dean Susan Dean-Baar. “Our peers and employers recognize that our students graduate rigorously prepared for the workplace and ready to effect positive change for entire populations of health. We’re honored to serve the St. Louis community in this way.”

UMSL’s Master of Social Work program fared similarly, rated 92nd out of 262 programs and No. 4 in the state. The report also recognized UMSL’s public affairs programs. U.S. News analyzed more than 2,054 graduate programs in various disciplines to create the rankings.

TFE Times also recently released a ranking, which rated UMSL’s MSW degree as 74th out of the 231 programs considered and the MSN as 98th out of 197.