Jan. 23, 2024
Heidi Wells
During the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing pinning ceremony at Fayetteville High School, a student (left) enrolled in the online R.N. to B.S.N. program was pinned by his wife on Dec. 15.
Forbes Advisor, a global platform affiliated with Forbes magazine, has recognized the University of Arkansas’ online program as one of the top 10 in the United States.
The list of 10 universities, which was not ranked in any particular order, included a private institution and another SEC institution, the University of Florida. Among these institutions, the U of A boasted the highest student retention and graduation rates.
“We are delighted that our R.N. to B.S.N. program has received national recognition,” stated Jessie Casida, the executive director and professor at the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing, University of Arkansas. Casida highlighted the program’s accelerated completion timeline of three semesters and the flexibility it provides to working nurses through asynchronous course delivery, as acknowledged by the magazine.
Students pursuing fully online degrees at the University of Arkansas benefit from in-state tuition fees, regardless of their location. The magazine also pointed out that R.N. to B.S.N. nursing students are required to complete 75 clinical hours focusing on an evidence-based quality improvement project under mentorship. The nursing school operates within the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas.
“The availability of this high-caliber online program contributes to the education of nurses in critical areas, leading to enhanced patient care quality,” Casida emphasized. “Moreover, the B.S.N. degree opens up diverse career pathways, including opportunities for further education in practice, education, leadership, research, and healthcare policy.”
The Forbes Advisor education team evaluated 57 accredited nonprofit colleges offering online R.N. to B.S.N. programs in the U.S. based on 16 data points encompassing credibility, affordability, student outcomes, experience, and application process.
The rankings, which utilized data up to January 2023 from reputable sources such as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, third-party data references, and institutional websites, considered various metrics like post-graduation earnings, financial aid, student debt, student-faculty ratio, accreditation, and acceptance rate. The top 10 schools achieved a final score of 77% or higher.
In the 2023 “Best Online Programs” ranking by U.S. News & World Report, the University of Arkansas’ online bachelor’s degree programs across four colleges secured the 35th position nationally. The 2024 rankings by U.S. News are anticipated to be released in February.
The University of Arkansas website features information about the R.N. to B.S.N. program and other offerings. One of the latest additions is the dual-degree program, Doctor of Nursing Practice-Executive Master of Business Administration, launched in summer 2023 in collaboration with the Sam M. Walton College of Business.