U.S. News Ranks Seton Hall’s Online M.S.N. Program Best in New Jersey
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Students in the Adult Gerontology Acute nurse practitioner program learn interdisciplinary skills during simulation experiences.
U.S. News & World Report has again recognized Seton Hall University in its 2026 Best Online Master’s in Nursing Programs rankings.
Seton Hall’s Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) ranked 35 out of 160 programs at U.S. colleges and universities that met the criteria for inclusion. The latest survey places Seton Hall in the top 17 percent nationally, third among Catholic colleges and universities, and — once again — the top-ranked program in New Jersey.
“We are proud that the College of Nursing’s commitment to academic excellence and innovative online learning continues to earn national recognition,” said College of Nursing Interim Dean and Associate Professor Kristi Stinson, Ph.D., R.N., APN, PNAP. With projections pointing to a growing nursing shortage in the coming decade, highly skilled nurse practitioners are more valued than ever, Stinson added.
Flexible Online Training for Busy Professionals
Students complete coursework online and asynchronously — a hallmark of Seton Hall’s
six M.S.N. programs. For working nurses seeking to advance their careers, this flexibility
supports academic success, program graduates say.
“A lot of my coworkers in other graduate programs attended classes in person, so they had to arrange days off from their work schedules,” said Carlos Guevara, a 2025 graduate of the M.S.N. in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program. “Seton Hall’s online format made it so much easier for me to coordinate work and school.”
Award-Winning Facilities Prepare Students for Clinical Practice
Another key differentiator of Seton Hall’s M.S.N. programs is a series of in-person
immersions at the University’s Interprofessional Health Sciences (IHS) campus in Nutley, NJ, which complement the online coursework. Students attend
three immersions featuring advanced skills labs and simulations, preparing them for
required on-site clinical training rotations in health care settings.
Future nurse practitioners in Seton Hall’s M.S.N. programs train in the University’s state-of-the-art skills labs.
Kendra Pierre, R.N., a student in Seton Hall’s M.S.N. in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program, recently completed a neurological simulation alongside fellow nurse practitioner and medical students at the IHS Simulation Center. While Pierre values the flexibility of the online format, she said the in-person simulations helped build her professional confidence.
“This structured exposure to critical situations not only strengthens clinical reasoning and procedural skills but also promotes interdisciplinary communication and confidence in high-acuity settings,” Pierre said.
In 2023, the College of Nursing, in partnership with the School of Health and Medical Sciences, secured a $1.14 million federal grant to enhance its Simulation Center facilities. These grant-funded technology upgrades elevate the quality of clinical preparation for students across Seton Hall’s graduate nursing and health professions programs.
Clinical Training Through Community Partnerships
Seton Hall’s commitment to high-impact clinical education extends well beyond the
simulation lab through a network of community partnerships that expand hands-on training
while strengthening service at the local level.
Most recently, a grant from The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey will support a new partnership between the College of Nursing and the North Jersey Community Research Initiative (NJCRI) in Newark, expanding clinical placement opportunities for students in the M.S.N. in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program. The initiative will fund a full-time nurse practitioner preceptor who will mentor students while providing direct care to underserved populations in Newark.
Discover more about Seton Hall’s College of Nursing.
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