Colorado School of Public Health, Skaggs School of Pharmacy both jumped spots to rank in top 20 best in the country
Schools and colleges of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus are again ranked among the best in the country on the 2024-2025 U.S. News & World Report annual ranking of higher education programs.
The University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is ranked as the 15th top school of pharmacy out of the 141 ranked programs comprising the "2024 Best Pharmacy Schools" by US News and World Report. This recognition secures CU Pharmacy's position in the top 10% of all such schools in the nation.
"This national recognition speaks to the outstanding efforts of our faculty clinicians and pharmaceutical researchers, staff and lab professionals," said Ralph Altiere, dean of the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy. "I think you would be hard-pressed to find a more dedicated community of educators, scientists, and healthcare specialists anywhere in the country."
USNWR updates its pharmacy school rankings every four years. CU Pharmacy moved up five places, from a previous ranking of 20th in the nation in 2020.
According to the USNWR website, the ranking methodology is based on survey responses of academics at peer institutions, with respondents rating "the academic quality of programs on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding)." For the newly released results, the organization surveyed programs offering Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degrees accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education in fall 2023 and early 2024.
The Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) has been ranked #16 by U.S. News & World Report for graduate programs in public health. The rankings were announced publicly on April 9. Previously, ColoradoSPH had been ranked #17.
As a newer school of public health, founded in 2008, ColoradoSPH, has risen steadily through the ranks from #35 to #16 in just 15 short years. The rankings of more than 200 schools and programs of public health are based on expert opinions about program excellence and other statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students.
"I am extraordinarily proud of the students, faculty, and staff at the Colorado School of Public Health," said Dean Cathy Bradley. She continued, "Excellence in education, innovation, collaboration, and partnership transcend our campus', and today our school community has been recognized for its steady progress and success."
This improved ranking comes on the heels of ColoradoSPH passing the preliminary portion of its Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) reaccreditation. ColoradoSPH met all 43 CEPH categories, which is the best possible outcome.
The University of Colorado College of Nursing at the Anschutz Medical Campus has been ranked among the 2024 Best Online Master's in Nursing Programs in Colorado and the country by U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News ranks schools according to a variety of objective factors, such as research activity, faculty resources, student excellence, and qualitative ratings from experts.
The University of Colorado College of Nursing's online Master's in Nursing program tied for 14th with three other schools among 186 total programs. The college's online MSN Administration and Leadership (iLEAD) program tied for 8th in the country with two other schools. The program moved up three spots from last year's rankings. CU Nursing remains the #1 nursing program in Colorado.
Additionally, the College's Midwifery program was ranked at #3 among 37 programs.
"The newest U.S. News & World Report rankings reflect CU Nursing's commitment to providing a quality education for our students," CU Nursing Dean Elias Provencio-Vasquez, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAANP, says. "Our high rankings are a testament to our outstanding faculty, staff, and administration who constantly work to improve our curriculum and give our students the tools to succeed. We are very proud of our Master's in Nursing and MSN Administration and Leadership (iLEAD) programs, and we will continue providing top nursing education in Colorado and the U.S."
In its 12th year, the U.S. News Best Online Programs is designed for individuals looking to complete or further their education. This year's edition evaluates more than 1,600 online bachelor's and master's degree programs using metrics specific to online learning. The rankings only include degree-granting programs offered primarily online by regionally accredited institutions.
Physical Therapy moved up two spaces since last ranked to #11 out of 245 programs.
Communicators from Colorado School of Public Health, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and CU College of Nursing contributed to this article.
