Best Medical Degrees Releases 50 Best Value Online Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Rankings

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Best Medical Degrees, an online resource guide to the best medical degree programs, has compiled a ranking of the 50 Best Value Online Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree Programs: http://www.bestmedicaldegrees.com/rankings/50-best-online-dnp-programs-2016/

Using the nursing education accreditation Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), U.S. News and World Report, Forbes, and Kiplinger as resources, the 50 best Doctor of Nursing Practice programs were ranked by cost, length of program, curricula, and accreditation.

The top three best value schools were New Mexico State University, School of Nursing in Las Cruces, NM, followed by Clarion University of Pennsylvania in Clarion, PA, and East Carolina University, College of Nursing in Greenville, NC.

Other schools in the ranking are listed below (in alphabetical order):

American Sentinel University - Aurora, CO
Augusta University, College of Nursing - Augusta, GA
Ball State University - Muncie, IN
Boise State University - Boise, ID
Chamberlain College of Nursing - Downers Grove, IL
Drexel University - Philadelphia, PA
Duke University, School of Nursing - Durham, NC
Duquesne University - Pittsburgh, PA
Eastern Kentucky University - Richmond, KY
Frontier Nursing University - Hyden, KY
Gardner-Webb University - Boiling Springs, NC
George Washington University, School of Nursing - Washington DC
Georgia College and State University - Milledgeville, GA
Graceland University - Independence, MO
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis - Indianapolis, IN
Lewis University - Romeoville, IL
Loyola University New Orleans - New Orleans, LA
Maryville University - St. Louis, MO
Medical University of South Carolina - Charleston, SC
Michigan State University - East Lansing, MI
Nebraska Methodist College - Omaha, NE
Nova Southeastern University - Fort Lauderdale, FL
Ohio State University - Columbus, OH
Old Dominion University - Norfolk, VA
Regis University - Denver, CO
Rush University, School of Nursing - Chicago, IL
Samford University - Birmingham, AL
St. Louis University - St. Louis, MO
Stony Brook University - Stony Brook, NY
Texas Christian University, Harris College of Nursing - Fort Worth, TX
Texas Tech University - Lubbock, TX
University of Alabama-Huntsville - Huntsville, AL
University of Arizona - Tucson, AZ
University of Colorado-Colorado Springs - Colorado Springs, CO
University of Hawaii-Manoa - Manoa, HI
University of Iowa - Iowa City, IA
University of Kansas - Kansas City, KS
University of Massachusetts-Amherst - Amherst, MA
University of Michigan-Flint - Flint, MI
University of Missouri-Kansas City - Kansas City, MO
University of Nevada-Las Vegas - Las Vegas, NV
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh, PA
University of Saint Francis - Joliet, IL
University of South Carolina - Columbia, SC
University of Texas Medical Branch, School of Nursing - Galveston, TX
West Virginia University - Morgantown, WV
Western University of Health Sciences- Pomona, CA

"The complexity of health care in the United States has put increased emphasis on quality patient outcomes and the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree is an effort to provide advanced nursing education at the highest level to achieve that goal," says Susan Kemppainen, editor at Best Medical Degrees.

In 2006, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) endorsed the concept that by the year 2015, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) would be the terminal degree for licensed nurses. The DNP focuses on clinical practice improvement, and is not to be confused with the PhD in nursing, which concentrates on research and empirical study.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 34% employment increase for advanced practice nurses between the years 2012-2022. In addition, a 2011 salary survey conducted by ADVANCE for Nurse Practitioners magazine, reported that DNP-prepared nurse practitioners earned $8,576 more than master's prepared nurse practitioners, bringing DNP estimated salaries to $105,516.

BestMedicalDegrees.com is an independent online publication dedicated to providing accurate and useful information for prospective students considering a career in medicine. In addition to medical school profiles, reviews, and rankings, prospective students will find online resource guides for a variety of medical fields, medical career and salary information, as well as interesting and fun articles and infographics on medical related topics.

Contact:

Susan A. Kemppainen
Editor, Best Medical Degrees
Email
(865) 258-1064

SOURCE Best Medical Degrees