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BSN maintains top status

The Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing’s undergraduate program continues to rank among the top 5 percent of Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs nationwide and second in Illinois, according to 2023-24 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

The magazine’s annual rankings, based on peer surveys of deans and senior faculty of nursing schools across the country, were released Sept. 18, 2023.

Loyola Nursing holds the No. 31 spot among 656 schools in the latest rankings. Since U.S. News began ranking undergraduate nursing schools two years ago, Loyola’s BSN program has placed at No. 31 or 29 among cohorts of 694 and 681 schools, respectively.

“We’ve always had an excellent national reputation, and we are honored to be recognized by our peers for the quality of our program,” said Dean Lorna Finnegan. “Healthcare leaders across the country know that when they hire a Loyola graduate, they’re hiring a quality nurse with exceptional clinical skills and a distinctive, Jesuit-based commitment to care of the whole person.”

Loyola offers a traditional four-year BSN and a 16-month Accelerated BSN (ABSN) program, as well as an RN-to-BSN option.

Led by faculty widely recognized as leaders within their fields, Loyola Nursing’s emphasis on innovative research, social justice, and preparing nurses to address the growing complexities of healthcare continues to set the program apart.

The award-winning CARE (Collaboration, Access, Resources, and Equity) Pathway to the BSN provides holistic academic, social, and financial support to 62 undergraduate students of color, with the first cohort of CARE Pathway students scheduled to graduate in spring 2024. The CARE Pathway is an expansion of a pathway from Loyola’s two-year Arrupe College to the BSN that was developed to support first-generation students and students from diverse backgrounds as they complete their nursing degree.

“These programs demonstrate our commitment to inclusive excellence and promoting health equity by preparing a diverse nursing workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities they serve,” Finnegan said.