University of Maryland School of Nursing Continues to Rank Among Nation’s Best Graduate Schools

Baltimore, Md. — The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) continues to solidify its reputation as one of the leading nursing schools in the nation, ranking in the top 10 across the board for public schools of nursing in all six categories in which the school is ranked, according to the newly released 2025 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools.”

The latest rankings highlight UMSON’s academic excellence across multiple programs, out of 285 accredited nursing schools that responded to the U.S. News survey.

For the second year in a row, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Nursing Leadership and Management specialty both ranked No. 1 nationwide among public schools of nursing.

Both UMSON’s MSN program overall and DNP Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specialty advanced in the rankings among all ranked schools, MSN tied at No. 17 (up from No. 20 last year) and FNP tied at No. 9 (up from No. 10). Among public schools of nursing, the MSN program is tied at No. 7, and the FNP specialty is tied at No. 4.

The DNP program overall is tied for No. 6 in the nation and No. 12 among all ranked schools.

UMSON is also ranked No. 8 among public schools of nursing for its DNP Nurse Anesthesia specialty.

“We are immensely proud of our students, faculty, and staff, whose dedication and excellence continue to make UMSON a leader in nursing education,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD '11, MS '05, BSN '04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing. “These rankings affirm our commitment to advancing the field of nursing through rigorous education and impactful research.”

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on a variety of indicators, including student selectivity and program size, faculty resources, and research activity, and on survey data from deans of schools of nursing that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. In fall 2024 and early 2025, U.S. News surveyed 683 nursing schools with master's or doctoral programs. In total, 285 schools responded to the survey. Of those, 197 reported on their master's programs, and 146 provided enough data to be eligible for inclusion in the ranking. For DNP, 202 schools responded and 158 were ranked because they provided enough data to be included. Many institutions were ranked in both, using some overlapping nursing school data that applies to both the master's and DNP programs involving research grants and faculty counts.

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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,000 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.