Loyola Nursing earns #26 ranking

The Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing’s undergraduate program has received its highest ranking ever from U.S. News & World Report, claiming the No. 26 spot among nursing schools nationwide.  

Loyola Nursing continues to place among the top 5 percent of Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs nationwide and second in Illinois, according to the magazine’s latest rankings, released September 24.  

“This ranking reaffirms the strength of our BSN program and upholds our reputation for academic excellence,” Dean Lorna Finnegan said. “Our focus on educating nurses in the Jesuit tradition and our emphasis on creating a more equitable health system for all continues to draw top students from across the country. I am grateful for the faculty and staff who continue to set our high bar for teaching, research, and clinical practice.” 

Loyola’s BSN program, ranked among 686 schools nationwide, has held No. 29 and 31 spots in previous U.S. News rankings. The school offers a BSN program for traditional four-year students as well as a 16-month Accelerated BSN track.  

According to the new rankings, Loyola Nursing’s BSN program ranks first among private universities in Illinois and is among the top 10 at private institutions nationally. 

The U.S. News annual undergraduate rankings are based on peer surveys of deans and senior faculty of nursing schools across the country. 

The new BSN ranking is the latest recognition for Loyola Nursing, which is also home to nationally ranked graduate programs, a growing research portfolio, and award-winning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), a leading academic nursing organization, recently awarded Loyola Nursing its prestigious 2024 Inclusive Excellence, Belonging, and Sustainability in Nursing Education Award for “successfully meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse student population and for cultivating a sense of belonging in nursing.”  

The school’s DEI efforts led to a nearly 7 percent increase in enrollment among undergraduate nursing students of color in three years. The AACN cited the school’s CARE (Collaboration, Access, Resources, and Equity) Pathway to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, which offers intensive academic, financial, and socio-emotional support to BSN students who self-identify as under-represented, as a factor in its decision to honor Loyola Nursing.