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.
“When I was looking for a program, I wanted to make sure I would be a part of a legacy that fostered learning, support, and success. With extensive research, I found UT Health Sciences to be a program that checked all the boxes I was looking for, and I am so happy I committed to this program,” said Cody Jones, BSN, RN, CCRN-CSC, who will graduate with his DNP in Adult Gerontology-Acute Care in May.
Jones pursued the DNP because “I wanted to be able to be part of policy, leadership, and research in my clinical practice and to have the knowledge and education to make changes that help my peers, colleagues, and patients.”
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% of all public and private programs on the list and in the top 6% 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.
When Lydia Robinson, MSN, BSN, decided to return to school for the DNP, UT Health Sciences was her first choice, she said. “I came to UT Health Sciences for the ACAGNP program due to it being an outstanding school and having great graduation rates, flexibility for a working adult, and the support from the instructors.” Robinson practices as a nurse in East Tennessee.
The UT Health Sciences College of Nursing offers nine DNP concentrations including Nurse Executive, Nurse-Midwifery, Nurse-Anesthesiology, Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Acute Care, Pediatric Primary Care, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care. There are also three dual DNP program offerings: Adult-Gerontology Acute Care/Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Primary Care/Pediatric Acute Care, and Psychiatric Mental Health/Family Nurse Practitioner. Detailed information is available at uthsc.edu/dnp.