University of Central Missouri: MS in Nursing and Part-time MBA at UCM Recognized in U.S. News and World Report Rankings for 2023
A testament to quality leadership and faculty in two University of Central Missouri graduate programs, the 2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings include the Master of Science in Nursing and the part-time Master of Business Administration (MBA). Selections were partially based on factors that included high enrollment rates and high average test scores for UCM students.
U.S. News & World Report is a premier source for collegiate information, resources and rankings that students can use to help them in making decisions about which college or university is the best fit for their educational needs. Working alongside field professionals, the organization publishes annual rankings for esteemed programs across the nation. In addition to access to resources provided by professionals, the organization utilizes data conducted from surveys, peer reviews and information directly from institutions of other relevant content.
The statistical data that colleges report to U.S. News are used to compare factors such as enrollment; acceptance rates, test scores, diversity, student-faculty ratios, starting salaries and job placement. Additionally, a peer assessment system is implemented to further examine universities. For all disciplines ranked, U.S. News surveyed deans or program directors, department chairs or faculty members, and field practitioners, asking them to rate the quality of each program in their field on a scale from one to five. These results were collected and averaged to compile a total peer assessment score to be used to further weigh the rankings.
Well-suited for individuals who can’t attend college full time for family or financial reasons, institutions that were recognized for their part-time MBA, in particular, received rankings that heavily utilized these peer review scores. The average peer assessment score accounted for 50% of the program’s overall score while other factors such as average GMAT score, average GRE scores, average GPA, student work experience and enrollment affected the ranking on a lesser scale. The peer assessment score also heavily affected the Nursing ranking, accounting for 40% of the ranking. From there, the nursing ranking was measured with data regarding university grants, research activity and healthcare professional input.
“The Best Graduate Schools rankings evaluate schools across nearly 200 different areas, such as law, business and nursing,” said Robert Morse, chief data strategist at U.S. News. “We regularly update the methodology and add new programs to keep the rankings relevant and valuable for prospective students.”
The Master of Science in Nursing at UCM is no stranger to awards and rankings, including being the subject of national rankings published by organizations such as the Princeton Review. The online nursing program also was recognized by U.S, News and other rankings organizations for flexible study options for students wanting to participate in a state-of-the-art degree program.
The MBA program at UCM is also considered as an outstanding program being included in rankings conducted by organizations such as Fortune and business and industry magazine giant and digital content producer Forbes, which recently cited UCM as a top university in its 2021 ranking.