Duke University School of Nursing

DURHAM, N.C. -- Graduate program rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report places Duke University School of Nursing as the No. 2 program in the nation for its Master of Science of Nursing program. 

Duke’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program was also ranked No. 2, tied with Rush University, among 188 doctoral programs rated annually by the magazine. 

Several nursing specialty areas were also included among the top 10: Nurse Practitioner-Adult/Gerontology, Acute Care (first); Nurse Practitioner-Adult/Gerontology Primary Care (first); Nurse Practitioner-Family (first); Nurse Practitioner: Pediatric, Primary Care (second); Nursing Administration (third); Nursing Informatics (fifth). 

“Here at the Duke University School of Nursing, we have created a community of scholars that foster and support innovative nursing leaders.” said Marion E. Broome, Ph.D., Ruby Wilson Professor of Nursing and dean of the Duke University School of Nursing. “We could not maintain the high-level of performance that is recognized by these exceptional rankings without the hard work, commitment and personal support of our world-class faculty and staff, gifted students and committed alumni.”

U.S. News also assessed 120 medical schools and ranked Duke's School of Medicine among the best in the nation, placing it 13th in a tie with the University of Pittsburgh and Yale University. The medical school’s Physician Assistant program was again ranked No. 1, tied with the University of Iowa, among 169 programs evaluated -- a top spot it has held for several years.

“We are honored to be consistently ranked as one of the top Physician Assistant programs in the U.S.,” said Jacqueline S. Barnett, DHSc, director of the Duke Physician Assistant Program, which is part of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. “This achievement speaks to having excellent institutional support, exceptional and dedicated faculty, staff, preceptors and alumni, and outstanding students who serve as great ambassadors for the Duke PA program and the PA profession.”
 
Duke's medical school additionally had eight specialty programs ranked in the top 10: Surgery (second); Internal Medicine (fourth); Anesthesiology (fifth); Radiology (sixth); Psychiatry (tied, sixth) Obstetrics and Gynecology (tied, eighth); Pediatrics (tied, tenth); Family Medicine (tenth).

“Duke is again recognized among the top medical schools in the country with eight of our departments ranking in the top ten among specialty areas, and our Physician Assistant program ranked No. 1,” said Mary E. Klotman, M.D., dean of Duke University School of Medicine.

“I’m proud of all of these distinctions, but I am most proud of the shared commitment of our faculty, staff and students to be innovative and work tirelessly to improve the health and well-being of people in our own community and throughout the world,” Klotman said.

U.S. News annually ranks graduate schools in six disciplines, including business, law, medicine, nursing, engineering and education. The magazine uses criteria such as grade-point averages of incoming students, acceptance rates and employment outcomes of graduates. For medical schools, the magazine also weighs NIH funding, NIH funding per faculty member, medical school entrance scores and grade point averages, among other criteria.

"These rankings once again highlight our national leadership in educating tomorrow's health sciences leaders," said A. Eugene Washington, M.D., chancellor for health affairs at Duke University and president and chief executive officer of the Duke University Health System. "Our faculty, staff and trainees demonstrate the highest level of excellence in clinical care, research and education, and it’s gratifying to be recognized for their efforts.”