For the fourth straight year, the University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing is ranked No. 1 in the country for its online master’s in nursing program, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual online program rankings released Wednesday (Feb. 7). 

“Achieving a No. 1 ranking four years in a row validates our sustained commitment to excellence in graduate nursing education,” Dean Jeannette Andrews says. “This ranking showcases our faculty and student achievements, as well as our dedication to best practices in online education.”

The university’s online master’s in nursing education program was ranked No. 3 in the country.

Online graduate programs are particularly important in nursing because they offer flexibility to the many students who already are working in the field. The university’s success in this area demonstrates both its academic excellence and its commitment to providing flexible degree pathways.

The College of Nursing has placed in the top 10 of the online graduate rankings for the past 10 years. The college also is in the top 1 percent in the country for pass rates on the NCLEX, the national exam for licensing nurses.

“Our national reputation allows us to attract the best and brightest students and faculty to work and study here at the university to carry out our mission and prepare graduates to optimize health for all citizens in South Carolina and surrounding regions,” Andrews says.

Providing these education opportunities is key in South Carolina, where the health care workforce is in need of more nurse practitioners, nursing educators and other advanced roles.

Other USC highlights in the U.S. News rankings include the College of Education’s graduate online education program ranked No. 23