Elmhurst College is one of the 10 best nursing schools in Illinois, according to the most recent rankings by nurse.org.

The website, which spearheads a variety of nursing-related initiatives, bases its rankings on a school’s reputation, tuition and pass rate on the national licensure exam, among other factors. Rankings are determined by a panel of registered nurses.

Elmhurst has “much smaller class sizes than you’d see at other schools,” the organization noted in its rankings summary, adding that students “can practically be guaranteed that what they offer is well worth the tuition.”

The new ranking is just the latest in a series of accolades for the department’s programs and people.

Most recently, the College was named a Nursing College of Distinction for 2019–2020. The designation, awarded by the popular college-ranking organization Colleges of Distinction, uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative factors to honor colleges that deliver “engaged students, great teaching, vibrant communities and successful outcomes.”

In addition, the College’s Master’s Entry in Nursing Practice (MENP) program was ranked No. 1 in the nation—out of 2,061 similar programs—for NCLEX pass rates in the latest report by Mountain Measurement NCLEX Program Reports. The program, which offers a pathway to a master’s degree in nursing for students with undergraduate degrees in fields other than nursing, achieved a rare 100 percent pass rate on the NCLEX, the national licensure exam for nurses.

Earlier this year, Elizabeth Davis, assistant professor of nursing and director of the MENP program, received a prestigious Nurse Educator Fellowship from the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

The fellowship, designed to encourage highly qualified nurses to continue their careers in higher education, includes a $10,000 award toward conferences, continuing education and other professional development opportunities. Davis was one of only 19 nurse educators in Illinois who received awards in this round of funding.

“These are wonderful accomplishments that reflect the high quality of our program,” said Diane Salvador, executive director of the Department of Nursing and Health Sciences. “They speak to the high caliber and hard work of our faculty and students.”