Forbes Ranks U of A's Online R.N. to B.S.N. in Top 10

Heidi Wells

A student (left) in the online R.N. to B.S.N. program is pinned by his wife Dec. 15 during the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing pinning ceremony at Fayetteville High School.

Forbes Advisor, a global platform operated by Forbes magazine, has named the R.N. to B.S.N. program offered online by the U of A as one of its top 10 such online programs in the United States.

The 10 universities were not listed in any apparent order. They included one private institution and one other SEC institution, the University of Florida. The U of A had the highest overall student retention rate and overall graduation rate of the 10 ranked institutions.

"We are pleased our R.N. to B.S.N. program has been recognized by a national magazine," said Jessie Casida, executive director and professor at the U of A Eleanor Mann School of Nursing. "The magazine's team noted the relatively short time it takes to earn the degree — three semesters — and the convenience we offer working nurses in asynchronous course delivery."

Students enrolled in fully online degree programs at the U of A pay in-state tuition regardless of where they live, and the magazine also noted nursing students in the R.N. to B.S.N. program must complete 75 clinical hours working on an evidence-based quality improvement project with a mentor. The nursing school is part of the College of Education and Health Professions at the U of A.

"We know offering this high-quality program online results in more educated nurses in areas where they are needed, which results in better quality of care for patients," Casida said. "Furthermore, their B.S.N. degree opens the door for many job opportunities including graduate education they need to advance their careers in practice, education, leadership, research and/or health care policy arenas."

The Forbes Advisor education team ranked 57 accredited, nonprofit colleges offering online R.N. to B.S.N. degree programs in the United States using 16 data points in the categories of credibility, affordability, student outcomes, student experience and application process, according to the methodology described on its website.

Data accurate as of January 2023 was retrieved from reliable resources such as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System; private, third-party data sources; and individual school and program websites, according to the magazine. Metrics included median earnings 10 years after graduation, federal aid, student loan debt, student-to-faculty ratio, accreditation and acceptance rate. The 10 best schools were chosen based on receiving a curved final score of 77% or higher.

Online bachelor's degree programs offered by four colleges at the U of A ranked No. 35 overall nationally in the 2023 "Best Online Programs" ranking by U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News is expected to release 2024 rankings in February.

The R.N. to B.S.N. and other nursing degree programs are showcased on the U of A ONLINE website. The dual-degree program the Doctor of Nursing Practice-Executive Master of Business Administration is the latest launched nursing program, which started in summer 2023. It's offered collaboratively by the nursing school and the Sam M. Walton College of Business.