The University of Connecticut Elisabeth DeLuca School of Nursing has moved up four spots in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Undergraduate Nursing Programs rankings, tying for No. 36 nationally after ranking No. 40 last year.
The ranking also places UConn among the top undergraduate nursing programs in New England. Boston College, ranked No. 12 nationally, is the only New England school ranked ahead of UConn.
The school reached the new ranking as it welcomed its largest incoming undergraduate class to date. This fall, 297 students joined the Class of 2030, with 275 students at UConn Storrs and 22 at UConn Waterbury.
“Moving to No. 36 is a wonderful recognition for UConn Nursing,” says Victoria Vaughan Dickson, Ph.D., RN, FAHA, FHFSA, FAAN, Dean of the Elisabeth DeLuca School of Nursing. “We have an outstanding community of faculty, staff, students and alumni, and this ranking reflects the work happening across our School.”
Among this year’s incoming class are the first 22 students in the Waterbury-to-Storrs Nursing Pathway. Launched this fall, the pathway allows students to begin their UConn nursing education at the Waterbury campus before transitioning to Storrs to complete their Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing.
The school is also preparing for its move into DeLuca Hall, its new home on the Storrs campus. The building will bring nursing education, simulation, research and collaboration together in a space designed specifically for the school and its students.
“We are welcoming more students at a time when the need for nurses remains high,” Dickson says. “With our largest incoming class, the new Waterbury pathway and DeLuca Hall ahead of us, there is a lot happening at UConn Nursing.”
The latest ranking is part of a strong year for the school. Earlier this year, UConn’s online graduate nursing programs were ranked No. 4 nationally and No. 1 for veterans by U.S. News & World Report.
