Your Personalized Nursing School Rankings
There are several publications that periodically release nursing school rankings, and there are a few dozen schools that perennially rank near the top. For example, the University of Washington, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of California San Francisco always score phenomenal numbers. Sadly, due to financial and geographical concerns, not everyone can attend these schools, and most prospective nurses end up prioritizing accessibility over ranking.
Still, when confronted with the nursing school rankings, it’s easy to feel a little frustrated and left out if your school isn’t on the list. But think of it this way: Those rankings are based on arbitrary criteria that may have little to do with you and your unique needs. Who’s to say that, for example, the University of Washington is the best fit for everyone? These things are subjective.
Instead of taking those nursing school rankings at face value, why not make rankings of your own? Here’s what to do:
Step 1: Make a list of all the schools that are accessible to you. This could include schools in your area, schools in areas to which you could feasibly move, and any online schools that you might consider attending. Give every school a star ranking based on how convenient it is for you.
Step 2: Read all the school-related documents and reviews that you can get your hands on. For example, many schools offer online course catalogues that anyone can access, and those that don’t have online catalogues will send you one in the mail. Also, try to get in touch with current nurses who have attended these schools, and find out how they feel about their experiences there. Give every school a star ranking based on this.
Step 3: Determine how much you’re willing to pay for your nursing education. Then, find the real information about how much these schools charge. Don’t forget to take fees and textbooks into account. Give each school a ranking based on how affordable it is for you.
Step 4: Add up the star rankings for each of your schools, and narrow your selection down to two or three top choices. Then, if these are in-classroom programs, you might want to consider visiting them. If they’re online programs, maybe call and speak to some of the administrators and teachers who work there. After this, you should have a pretty good idea of where you want to go, and you won’t have to rely on nursing school rankings that may not be very important to you at all.
