Rockhurst University Leads State in Nursing School Rankings

Niche, one of the largest online college search resources for students, has ranked Rockhurst University's nursing program as the best in Missouri in their Best Colleges 2025 rankings.

The Best Colleges lists rank institutions on everything from their location to their academics, taking into account performance on key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education as well as alumni and current student reviews.

Rockhurst University was also ranked comfortably within the top 10% of nursing programs nationwide. The rankings are part of a growing list of accomplishments for nursing programs at Rockhurst. May 2023 graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program posted a 97% pass rate on the NCLEX licensure exam, one of the top scores in Missouri and exceptional for a program of its size. And the online Master of Science in Nursing degree program continues to grow, contributing to a record-setting summer graduate enrollment at Rockhurst.

"We feel we owe it to our students and to the patients they care for to provide the best nursing education possible," said Kristina Henry, DNP, associate dean of nursing and chief academic administrator for nursing. "Rankings like these, especially since they are based partly on alumni and student feedback, speak to the quality of outcomes and to the reputation we've built for nursing education that focuses on compassion and competency."

Saint Luke's College of Health Sciences became part of Rockhurst University in early 2020. The University renovated the first building on its campus, Sedgwick Hall, into a home for the nursing program and the existing health sciences program, featuring the state-of-the-art Seelos Simulation Center, which gives students hands-on instruction and practice in a realistic environment.

Elsewhere in Niche's Best College lists, Rockhurst was listed among the best values in the state, one of Missouri's top private institutions and among the top 20% of private institutions in the nation.