U.S. News ranks graduate online programs among country’s best

Jan. 26, 2021 — DENTON — U.S. News & World Report has recognized online graduate nursing and online graduate education at Texas Woman’s University as being among the nation’s best and ranked specific master’s programs in nursing education and family nurse practitioner among the country’s top 10.

The recognition was announced today in the publication’s annual “Best Online Programs” edition, which offers rankings in a variety of academic categories. U.S. News considers several factors in determining rankings, such as student engagement, faculty training and credentials, expert opinions, support services and technology, and student excellence.

TWU’s online graduate nursing and online graduate education offerings ranked in the top half of all universities assessed across the country in those categories. TWU’s online graduate nursing was ranked 6th among 14 Texas universities while its online graduate education was ranked 11th among 22 Texas institutions.

Additionally, Texas Woman’s online master’s program in nursing education was ranked No. 2 in the country out of 14 universities that were ranked, and TWU’s family nurse practitioner master’s program was ranked ninth — and first in Texas — out of 16 universities ranked.

“Our online nursing programs have been built on a legacy of excellence,” said Dr. Rosalie Mainous, dean of TWU’s College of Nursing. “Our faculty are dedicated to ensuring student success, which leads to a solid educational experience and extraordinary preparation for our students.”

“We are proud to provide quality, accessible and affordable programs focused on strengthening the educator workforce,” added Lisa Huffman, dean of Texas Woman’s College of Professional Education. “This ranking reflects our commitment to delivering an outstanding academic experience to our distance education learners.”

For its 2021 edition, the publication assessed 1,641 online degree programs—an all-time high.

“Highly ranked programs have strong traditional academic foundations based on student-instructor access, graduation rates and instructor credentials,” the publication states. “They also excel at educating distance learners while offering robust career and financial support.”

In 2020, U.S. News ranked TWU No. 5 in the country – and No. 1 in Texas – for student diversity, and California education nonprofit Educate to Career recognized TWU as a top university for its ability to provide a quality education during the economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

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Page last updated 2:41 PM, February 1, 2022