For the second consecutive year, the University of Maryland School of Nursing’s (UMSON) Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Nursing Leadership and Management (NLM) specialty was ranked No. 1 in the nation among public schools of nursing in the Nursing Administration/Leadership category in U.S. News & World Report’s newly released “2025 Best Online Programs.” It was fifth among all schools of nursing.
After being re-envisioned with an updated curriculum aligned with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s new Essentials, the specialty, previously called Health Services Leadership and Management, has been renamed NLM. The program offers leading-edge courses, personalized mentorship, and individual placements in a practicum that supports students’ career goals and takes them beyond their current place of employment to opportunities that refine advanced nursing leadership and nursing administration skills.
Placements, which UMSON secures for its students, are with leaders at hospitals and health care systems, universities and community colleges, national and state agencies, and more.
In 2024, UMSON ranked No. 1 among public nursing schools in this category and third among all schools of nursing. In 2023, it ranked No. 2 among public nursing schools and was tied for fourth overall.
This year, UMSON was also ranked by U.S. News for Best Online Program for Veterans at 26th overall nationwide.
“We are thrilled to be recognized nationally for our MSN Nursing Leadership and Management specialty,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing. “Our faculty are committed to supporting students’ career goals with great teaching, cutting-edge coursework, and personalized mentoring. We are extremely proud of our many graduates who go on to become health care system leaders, particularly at a time when nurse leadership is so vitally important.”
The U.S. News rankings represent the most respected and in-depth evaluation of U.S. graduate programs that are designed to be administered online. UMSON is among the 198 schools ranked, out of 211 that provided enough data to participate in the survey. The magazine ranked UMSON’s overall online Master of Science in Nursing program among the top 81 schools.
The publication’s rankings are based on indicators such as student and faculty engagement, faculty credentials and training, student services and technology, student excellence, and peer assessment, using data collected directly from each institution. Only degree-granting programs that are offered primarily online by regionally accredited institutions are considered, and the programs that score the highest are those applying educational best practices specific for distance learners.