U.S. News Ranks Fisher’s Nursing Graduate Programs No. 31 in the Nation

April 9, 2024

The graduate offerings in the Wegmans School of Nursing at St. John Fisher University are among the top 31 programs in the nation, according to the annual U.S. News Best Grad Schools ranking.

A graduate student in the Wegmans School of Nursing.

In the last three years, Fisher’s master’s programs have climbed 51 spots, from No. 82 in 2021 to the now impressive ranking of No. 31 in the Best Nursing Schools: Master’s list. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program ranked No. 85, in the top third of all ranked programs in the in Best Nursing Schools: Doctor of Nursing Practice list.

According to the publication, the Best Nursing Schools rankings assessed the graduate programs on their research activity, faculty resources, student excellence, and qualitative ratings from experts.

Seal: Best Grad Schools - US News & World Report - Nursing Master's Degree 2024

“We take great pride in being recognized as one of the leading schools of nursing in the country, a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence in education and healthcare. In the regional community, the ‘Fisher Nurse’ is synonymous with nursing excellence, and to see our national rankings soar to No. 31 is indicative of the broader reputation we have built across the country,” said Dr. Tricia Gatlin, dean of the School. “Our strong reputation in the community underscores our dedication to producing highly skilled and compassionate nurses who positively impact lives and contribute to the advancement of health care.”

The School offers five Master of Science in Nursing degrees including Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner; Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner; Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner; Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner; and Adult/Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist; as well as a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. In fall 2021, the School welcomed the first cohort of students into a fully-online pathway for its master’s offerings. Earlier this year, U.S. News listed the M.S. in Nursing online pathway at No. 137 in its first year of ranking eligibility.

Fisher prepares the largest number of nurses in the region via its traditional baccalaureate degree program and a large percentage of advanced practice nurse practitioners into the regional and state-wide health care workforce. The School’s Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing integrates specialized curriculum into nursing undergraduate, graduate, and professional education that addresses the unique health care needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.