How we rank nursing programs

Every ranking on this site is generated from the same composite, the Hakia Score, a 0 to 100 number computed entirely from publicly reported federal data. No program pays for placement. No reputation surveys, peer assessments, or editorial opinions factor into the score. If a program disputes its data, the dispute is with the federal dataset, not with us.

The four scoring factors

Each program is scored within its own peer group (same credential and degree level, so a BSN is only ever compared to other BSNs) across four dimensions:

• Graduation rate carries the most weight. It is the clearest single signal of whether a program actually gets the students it admits across the finish line.
• Selectivity (admit rate) is included not to reward exclusivity for its own sake, but because programs with more competitive admissions tend to have stronger student preparation and completion outcomes.
• Cost (in-state tuition) is weighted as a negative factor: lower tuition improves the score, because affordability is a real outcome that matters to real students carrying real debt.
• Outcomes (BLS wage data) anchor the score to the pay a credential actually leads to. Because wages are consistent across the field at the national level, this factor normalizes programs against a shared floor rather than rewarding one school over another for something none of them individually controls.

Data sources

Every number is publicly verifiable, and we link to the source on each ranking page:

• IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, U.S. Department of Education): graduation rates, admissions, enrollment, and tuition.
• BLS OEWS (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics): national and state wages by occupation, currently the May 2025 release.
• CCNE and ACEN accreditation directories: to verify that every ranked program is accredited.
• College Scorecard (Field of Study): where available, the actual median earnings of a school’s graduates in a field.

What we exclude

• Unaccredited programs. If a program is not CCNE- or ACEN-accredited, it does not appear, because in most states its graduates cannot sit for the NCLEX.
• Programs no longer accepting applicants. A program that is teaching out a degree can still show strong historical completion data, but you cannot enroll in it. We remove these even when their metrics would otherwise rank them highly.
• Programs with insufficient data. If a program lacks reliable figures across the scoring dimensions, we leave it out rather than guess.
• Mismatched credentials. Associate, bachelor’s, bridge, and graduate programs are ranked on separate pages, because comparing them on one scale would be meaningless.

What we do not use

We do not use U.S. News-style reputation surveys, paid or sponsored placements, program self-reported data, or subjective factors like faculty prestige or hospital affiliation. None of those measure the thing a prospective nursing student actually needs to know: whether a program gets graduates licensed and working.

How often we update

Rankings are refreshed as new federal data is released and as program statuses change. Every page displays its last-updated date. If you spot an error, tell us at help@hakia.com and we will check it against the source.