DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke University School of Nursing was named the No. 1 graduate nursing program in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, which published its 2018 top graduate school rankings today. The school had previously been ranked fourth.

The nursing school’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program (DNP) also was named the No. 1 DNP program in the nation and several specialty areas were also in the top 10: Nurse Practitioner-Pediatric, Primary Care (second); Informatics and Doctor of Nursing Practice-Nurse Anesthesia (third); Nurse Practitioner-Family (tied for fourth); Nurse Practitioner-Adult Gerontology, Acute Care (fifth). 

Duke’s School of Medicine tied for No. 7 in the magazine’s roster of leading medical schools, up from eighth place in last year’s listing. Several specialty programs in the School of Medicine were also ranked: Internal Medicine (fifth); Geriatrics (tied for fifth); Family Medicine (ninth).

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. 

“Being named the leading graduate nursing program in the nation is a tremendous honor, achievement and responsibility,” said Marion E. Broome, dean and Ruby Wilson Professor of Nursing at Duke University School of Nursing. 

Duke’s nursing school began offering a graduate program in the 1950s. In 2006, the school accepted the first students into a new Ph.D. program, and two years later, launched the first Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program in North Carolina, which prepares nurses for leadership positions in clinical care.

“The work of our faculty, staff and students has built upon our legacy as a national and global leader in nursing education, research and clinical practice and has created the expectation of excellence that will define our future as we help reshape nursing and health care delivery,” Broome said.

Duke’s School of Medicine, established in 1930, is the youngest of the nation’s top-rated medical schools. The School of Medicine includes more than 2,200 academic and clinical faculty members in 22 departments, drawing nearly $700 million in sponsored research expenditures annually.

“We are delighted to be recognized, once again, as one of the very best medical schools in the country.  This honor is a tribute to our outstanding faculty, students and staff, and the many ways they come together as a community to bring excellence to our missions of education, research, service and patient care,” said Nancy C. Andrews, M.D., Ph.D., medical school dean.

“This is a proud day for Duke Health,” 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. “These rankings are yet another indication of the excellence, depth and breadth of exceptional faculty and staff within both schools. They are a testimony to the outstanding education and training that our students receive, which uniquely prepares them to advance health in communities around the world.”