Nursing Degree Search is the latest third-party group to recognize the excellence of Schoolcraft College’s Nursing program in the state of Michigan, regionally and nationally. That group’s ranking analysis named Schoolcraft College No. 3 in Best Nursing Associate’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region/Michigan, one of four awards for Schoolcraft College.

For that particular ranking, Nursing Degree Search analyzed 42 schools in Michigan to see which ones offered the best programs for nursing students. To come up with a school's ranking, Nursing Degree Search analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt and more.

Further, Nursing Degree Search ranked Schoolcraft College No. 1 in the category of 2021 Best Nursing Associate's Degree School in Michigan out of 29 schools.

The other two awards from Nursing Degree Search are:

• No. 5 Best Nursing Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Michigan (out of 27)
• No. 34 Best Nursing Associate’s Degree Schools (out of 890 nationally). This puts Schoolcraft College in the top 5% of the country for nursing students.

Nursing Degree Search’s rankings are designed to help students choose the best place to pursue their nursing education, whether they have their sights set on an Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s or some other type of degree or certificate. Some of the factors used to create this ranking include post-graduate earnings, time to graduate, and average student debt among other quality metrics.

The primary data source is the U.S. Department of Education. You can read more about the methodology Nursing Degree Search uses online.

“This tremendous recognition for Schoolcraft College’s Nursing program is a direct result of the great work of our experienced faculty members and other college team members. They are truly dedicated to the success of our students,” said Dr. Debi Vendittelli, DNP*, ANP-BC**, and nursing program associate dean.

These lofty rankings from Nursing Degree Search follow NursingProcess.org listing Schoolcraft College among its 10 Best Nursing Schools in Michigan Offering ADN Programs. (ADN stands for Associate Degree in Nursing.) You can view the entire Michigan list from NursingProcess.org. You can view the methodology NursingProcess.org uses online.

Schoolcraft College also was recognized as a top nursing school in Michigan for 2019 by Nursing Schools Almanac, which has been ranking institutions since 2016.

Schoolcraft offers several educational options for aspiring nurses:

• Entry-level candidates can quickly complete a six-credit nursing assistant seven- or four-week course for eligibility to take the Michigan Nurse Aide Exam.
• Registered nursing (RN) students complete associate degree program requirements. The program traditionally starts in the fall, but the College also has added an additional cohort that starts in the winter semester due to increased interest in the program at Schoolcraft.
• Students also may attain a practical nursing (PN) certificate after completing nursing courses during the first year of the registered nursing program. These students take one additional course in the summer for eligibility to take the NCLEX***-PN exam. These students may then work as LPNs (licensed practical nurses) while continuing on to complete the second year of the registered nursing program.
• Individuals who already have a Michigan LPN license may take second-year nursing courses in the LPN to RN Option sequence to become registered nurses and attain an associate degree.

Despite the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Schoolcraft College graduated its largest cohort ever during the 2019-2020 academic year with nearly 200 nurses this year. Learn more about Schoolcraft College’s Nursing program.

*DNP stands for Doctor of Nursing Practice

**ANP-BC stands for Adult Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified

***NCLEX stands for National Council Licensure Examination