College climbs in U.S. News graduate rankings

The Michigan State University College of Nursing continued its climb in the U.S. News & World Report Best rankings for best graduate nursing programs — released today — including its first Top 15 spot for one of its concentrations.

The college is home to five concentrations in its Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, including nurse anesthesiology, adult gerontology nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, and the all-online adult gerontology clinical nurse specialist, the latter of which earned a No. 14 spot nationally in the 2026 rankings. The college’s overall DNP program came in at No. 47, up 14 spots from 2025; while its master’s program hit No. 45, up seven places from last year.

"I am so very proud of the improvement in our U.S. News rankings, which are a testament to the expertise and dedication of all our faculty who teach in these programs and to the staff and preceptors who support our graduate students,” said Interim Dean Linda Weglicki. I thank our Spartan students who choose MSU and who, when they graduate, are highly recruited for their preparedness and the impact that they make in addressing today’s complex health problems."

The graduate program results are the latest in an upward trend in rankings for the college, whose nurse anesthesiology program was ranked No. 41 nationally in last year’s rankings, with an updated score expected this spring. MSU’s undergraduate nursing program, meanwhile, is ranked No. 28 nationally, and has consistently been among the country’s top programs.

MSU’s nursing research funding rank also continues to climb, jumping from No. 35 to 25 in this year’s Blue Ridge Institute for Medical research rankings, and up from No. 69 in 2020.

Published April 7, 2026.