The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences College of Nursing ranked No. 24 nationwide among public and private universities on the latest list by U.S. News & World Report. Among public universities, the program ranked No. 10 nationwide. It is the most highly ranked DNP program at a public university in Tennessee.
The latest list continues the college’s tradition of high rankings by the national magazine. The College of Nursing ranked 25th in 2024 among public and private universities and tied for 23rd in 2023. These high rankings come as no surprise to students in the program.
The rankings were based on several factors including peer assessment, student acceptance rate, the percentage of faculty with doctoral degrees, percentage of faculty with distinguished memberships or fellowships, and student-faculty ratio.
The No. 24 ranking places UT Health Sciences in the top 15 percent of all public and private programs on the list and in the top 6 percent of DNP programs in the U.S. – ranked and unranked.
“Being ranked among the top 25 in the country is an achievement that reflects the exceptional dedication of our faculty, the high caliber of our students, and our unwavering commitment to advancing clinical excellence and leadership in nursing,” said Dean Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-Bc, FAAN, FAANP. “Recognition by U.S. News & World Report affirms the impact of our work and our mission to prepare nurse leaders who improve health outcomes and transform care.”
Other Tennessee programs that made the list include the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, which ranked 47th for its DNP program among public and private universities. Union University was No. 120, and Belmont University was No. 128. Vanderbilt University ranked No. 16 nationwide.