Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN dean, University of Maryland School of Nursing

The University of Maryland School of Nursing  (UMSON) has been ranked No. 6 among all accredited  graduate nursing programs by U.S.News & World Report in its 2015 edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools." UMSON advanced from a No. 11 ranking in 2011 to a tie for No. 6 with the schools of nursing at Duke University, New York University, and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

In addition to its No. 6 overall ranking, eight UMSON master’s specialties/options are ranked in the top 10 in the 2015 U.S.News & World Report listing. Ranked No. 1 are the Clinical Nurse Leader option and the Nursing Informatics specialty. The Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty is ranked No. 4; the Nursing Administration and the Family Nurse Practitioner specialties are ranked No. 5; the Nurse Anesthesia specialty is ranked No. 7; and the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and the Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner specialties are each ranked No. 8.

“This exciting news is a tribute to the exceptional faculty, staff, students, and alumni who make up the fabric of the University of Maryland School of Nursing,” said Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of the school.

“We are proud of these achievements and will continue to grow our nursing programs to meet the needs of the ever-changing health care landscape," she said of the rankings, which were made public on March 10.

The U.S.News & World Report “America’s Best Graduate Schools” rankings process is conducted every four years for nursing graduate schools. Rankings are compiled through the gathering of opinion data from deans, administrators, and faculty from schools of nursing that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.