KU School of Nursing’s undergraduate program among top in country, according to U.S. News & World Report
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at KU School of Nursing ranks in the top 10% of all accredited bachelor’s degree programs for nursing in the country.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program (BSN) at the University of Kansas School of Nursing received high marks from the latest “Best Colleges” rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report. The program placed 25th among such programs at public schools, while claiming the 40th spot among the 686 accredited BSN programs in the country included in the rankings.
The rankings are based on peer assessments completed by representatives from schools of nursing across the country rating each institution’s nursing undergraduate program. U.S. News then determines the rankings using the average rating each institution received.
The program was also ranked No. 1 for BSN nursing programs in the state of Kansas. “The future is bright here,” said Jean Foret Giddens, Ph.D., FAAN, dean of KU School of Nursing. “KU School of Nursing delivers a quality education for our students. Our faculty prepare our graduates to practice as nurses and care for our community members.”
dean of KU School of Nursing
In recent years, KU School of Nursing has ramped up efforts to combat the nursing shortage in the state and the country. In 2023, it created the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center, which recently released its second report on the state of nursing in Kansas. This report is an analysis of a wide variety of nursing data, and it is being used to inform decision-making on programs and policies affecting nursing in the state.
KU School of Nursing, which has campuses in Kansas City and Salina and partners with eight community colleges across the state to produce BSN-prepared graduates, has continued to find ways to expand its own enrollment. Giddens noted that the school recently added a new incoming class of students that started in the spring 2025 and expanded the class that starts in the fall. She also noted that a new partnership with McPherson College will increase opportunities for students to pursue nursing studies at KU.
That partnership will enable students at McPherson College, which is located in Central Kansas, to earn a BSN from KU. Students will be able to take courses on the KU School of Nursing’s Salina campus and online while remaining at McPherson and even continuing to live in the dormitories there. The hope is to produce more graduates who will decide to practice in Central Kansas or in other rural areas in the state.
For more on the undergraduate rankings, released Sept. 23, 2025, visit usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings.
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 2025, when the last U.S. News & World Report graduate program rankings were released, the nurse-midwifery program at KU School of Nursing placed 10th overall and 7th for public institutions.