KU’s bachelor’s degree in nursing program jumps in rankings

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at the University of Kansas School of Nursing made a big leap in the latest “Best Colleges” rankings released today from U.S. News & World Report.

KU’s BSN program tied for the 19th spot among the 671 accredited bachelor’s degree programs that were ranked, up from the 40th spot last year, placing it in the top 5% of such programs in the country. The BSN program tied for the 14th spot for programs at public institutions, climbing from the 25th position in last year’s rankings.

"The jump in our rankings is a direct result of the hard work our dedicated faculty have devoted to the development of our new curriculum over the last 18 months,” said Jean Foret Giddens, Ph.D., FAAN, dean of KU School of Nursing. “Additionally, our strategic enrollment initiative has grown the BSN program to enable greater access for Kansas students who want to become nurses. These factors reflect how our school is committed to student success, grounded in the health and wellbeing of Kansas communities, and graduates Jayhawk nurses who are prepared to meet the demands of 21st century healthcare.”

The school’s new competency-based curriculum, which just launched with the fall 2026 semester, is expected to become a model for other nursing schools across the country. Competency-based education aims to fill the gap between what students know, based on test results, and what hands-on skills they can demonstrate. In addition to practical skills such inserting an IV or drawing blood, competencies include things like coordinating and planning care, exercising good clinical judgment and solving problems. Nursing students always have had labs and clinical practice to apply what they learned in the classroom. But in the new curriculum, these experiences are more numerous and integrated.

Also beginning this fall, students enrolled at McPherson College in central Kansas can pursue a BSN from KU School of Nursing. After completing two years of prerequisites on the McPherson campus, students will be able complete the remaining 60 credits of nursing courses just 35 miles away on the KU campus in Salina, as well as online.

The school also is making its community college partnership program more flexible. The program enables students to earn an associate degree at a community college and a BSN online from KU simultaneously. In the past, students were required to begin the BSN program when they began their associate degree. The new plan will allow students to enter the BSN program later, with the expectation that such flexibility will increase the number of students in the program.

The BSN rankings were based on the average of scores received from surveys of top faculty and administrators at nursing schools or departments that have bachelor’s-level accreditation by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. These regionally accredited institutions must have recently awarded at least 50 bachelor’s degrees to be included.

“I could not be prouder of our school's commitment to our students and to Kansas," said Giddens.

U.S. News publishes its “Best Colleges” rankings each fall. These rankings are different from the annual graduate school rankings published each spring. In April 2026, when the latest U.S. News & World Report graduate program rankings were released, the nurse-midwifery program at KU School of Nursing placed 24th for public institutions.

For more on the undergraduate rankings, released Sept. 22, 2026, visit usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings.