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DNP program ranked No. 1 in Texas

U.S. News & World Report ranks MSN program No. 2 in state

Updated: April 08, 2025

Nursing students from all degrees in front of the building

(April 8, 2025) Two programs offered at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston have been ranked No. 1 in Texas, according to the latest listings by U.S. News & World Report.

The 2025 edition of U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools, which was released today, ranked Cizik School of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program as first in Texas and tied for 33rd nationally, with the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program ranked No. 2 in Texas and tied for 41st nationally.

In September 2024, the 2025 U.S. News Best Colleges publication ranked the school’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program as No. 1 in Texas and tied for 26th nationally.

“We are immensely proud of Cizik School of Nursing for consistently earning recognition as a leading institution in Texas and beyond,” said LaTanya J. Love, MD, UTHealth Houston interim president and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair. “These prestigious rankings underscore our unwavering commitment to excellence in nursing education. By training highly skilled nurses equipped to meet the complex health care needs of our communities, Cizik School of Nursing is shaping the future of health care and transforming lives across Texas and the nation.”

The school is also ranked No. 1 in Texas among nursing schools that receive research funding from the National Institutes of Health. Substantial growth in federally funded research creates opportunities for students in all degree programs. DNP students play an important role in translating scientific research into nursing best practices, and top graduate and undergraduate students can learn leadership skills and scholarly research methods by working side-by-side with faculty mentors through the school’s Honors Research Program.

“At Cizik School of Nursing, our vision is to lead the advancement of health and high-quality health care for all. That means preparing our students at every level for success academically and professionally,” said Dean Diane Santa Maria, DrPH, MSN, RN, ACRN, PHNA-BC, FSAHM, FAAN. “Often, this means bringing students in our different degree programs together with one another and with health care professionals from other disciplines. Being one of UTHealth Houston’s seven schools provides wonderful opportunities for interprofessional training and experience.”

For example, Cizik School of Nursing is pioneering the use of electronic health records in education by integrating the Epic platform throughout its curriculum and sharing simulated patient cases with McGovern Medical School and McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston. This allows nursing, medical, and informatics students to follow the same patients over time within the educational Epic EDU environment.

“These rankings are based on statistical metrics and our reputation among academic and professional peers,” said Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Susan Ruppert, PhD, APRN, FNP-C, ANP-BC, FCCM, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN. “While it is gratifying to have our programs recognized for their excellence and rigor, it is even more important to make sure our students are well-supported in their academic journeys and well-prepared to become tomorrow’s nursing leaders.”

Cizik School of Nursing provides plentiful scholarship opportunities, and its tuition rates are among the lowest in the state. In addition, BSN to DNP students studying in one of the primary care nurse practitioner tracks may apply for traineeships through the Advanced Nursing Education Workforce grant program funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Learn more about our highly ranked programs:

 Nurse practitioner tracks:

BSN to DNP Nurse Anesthesia

Our new Pre-Nursing Pathway offers nursing science prerequisites and the opportunity to advance to our Pacesetter BSN program without taking nursing school entrance exams.

U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools ranked 158 DNP programs and 148 MSN programs this year based on research activity, faculty resources, student excellence, post-graduate outcomes, and qualitative ratings derived from experts. Its statistical data collection survey was sent to nursing schools in late 2024 and early 2025. The MSN rankings include survey assessments from health care professionals as well as peers from academic institutions.

The 2025 U.S. News Best Colleges publication, released Sept. 24, 2024, ranked undergraduate nursing programs based on surveys of top leaders at schools and departments of nursing. All ranked schools must have recently awarded at least 40 BSN degrees and must have bachelor’s-level accreditation from either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. 

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