Virginia

Methodology

Using the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), we gathered data for 6,758 United States institutions. We then filtered that list of schools by state and analyzed the data for each state with two different methodologies, in order to create two different lists: our undergraduate list, based on 11 ranking criteria, and our graduate list, based on 9 ranking criteria.

Final data for the 2016-17 school year was used for these rankings. Schools that did not provide data for all of the required ranking criteria were disqualified from that ranking.

The 11 criteria for the undergraduate school ranking were as follows:

1. Number of associate- and bachelor’s-level degree programs offered to nursing-related majors
2. Number of associate- and bachelor’s-level nursing-related degree programs offered via distance education
3. Variety of associate- and bachelor’s-level nursing-related degree programs offered
4. Tuition
5. Retention rate
6. Graduation rate
7. Average amount of federal grant aid awarded to full-time first-time undergraduates
8. Percent of full-time first-time undergraduates awarded any financial aid
9. Credit offerings (Military, Dual, Life Experience, AP)
10. Services (Career Counseling, Placement Services)
11. Availability of tuition plans (Guaranteed, Prepaid, Payment, Other)

The graduate school ranking scored schools based on 9 criteria, different from the undergraduate list. These 9 criteria were as follows:

1. Number of master’s- and doctoral-level degree programs offered to nursing-related majors
2. Number of master’s- and doctoral-level nursing-related degree programs offered via distance education
3. Variety of master’s- and doctoral-level nursing-related degree programs offered
4. Tuition
5. Retention rate
6. Graduation rate
7. Credit offerings (Military, Dual, Life Experience, AP)
8. Services (Career Counseling, Placement Services)
9. Availability of tuition plans (Guaranteed, Prepaid, Payment, Other)

All schools were scored on a 10-point scale for each of the points listed above. Individual data point scores were then multiplied by their respective weights, and the scores were added together, for a maximum possible score of 10 points.

NOTE: Schools’ tuition amounts are based on 2016-17 undergraduate and graduate data reported to the National Center for Education Statistics. The actual cost of tuition may vary.

Sources

• Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2016-17, National Center for Education Statistics, Accessed January 2018, http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/
• American Hospital Directory, Accessed July 2018, https://www.ahd.com/
• Virginia Department of Health Professions, Accessed July 2018, https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/nursing/nursing_forms.htm
• Nursing Licensure, Accessed July 2018, https://www.nursinglicensure.org/state/nursing-license-virginia.html
• Inova, Accessed July 2018, https://www.inova.org/patient-and-visitor-information/facilities/inova-fairfax-hospital/index.jsp
• VCU Health, Accessed July 2018, https://www.vcuhealth.org/
• Chippenham Hospital, Accessed July 2018, https://chippenhammed.com/
• Virginia Nurses Association, Accessed July 2018, http://www.virginianurses.com/