Accredited nursing programs must have the curriculum, training and testing necessary to meet national standards. National standards for college nursing programs are developed by The National League of Nursing Accreditation Committee (NLNAC) and The Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
The top-ranked accredited nursing programs, according to "U.S. News and World Report," in order, are: the University of Washington, University of California - San Francisco, University of Pennsylvania, John Hopkins University and University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. Not coincidentally, these colleges also have stellar programs for medicine in both traditional and specialized fields. Nurses receive a classroom education focusing on science, math and health, and gain hands-on experience at hospitals affiliated with their university. Among the requirements for an accredited nursing program include a strong education in basic science concepts, laboratory and work-study experience.
Dozens of accredited nursing programs exist in almost every state. These schools can be found by state or zip code on the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) website. Most public state universities have accredited nursing programs. As of 2011, however, there are no accredited nursing programs in Alaska. If you are unsure about a specific program, especially when attending a school for a specialized field of nursing, you can call the school and ask about its accreditation status.
If you cannot find an accredited nursing program in your area, you can take an accredited nursing program online. Online accredited nursing programs include Florida Hospital College of Health, Frontier School of Midwifery and Nursing, Indiana State University - Online Nursing, Health and Human Sciences Degree, Loyola University New Orleans and Thomas Edison State College for Nursing. Many of these programs are sponsored by public or private colleges that extend their curriculum to the Internet.