By Kristen Kirtley
Asisstant Editor
Northwestern Oklahoma State University has been ranked in the top ten schools in the nation for 2023 for offering an affordable online nursing education.
The program was ranked 9th by Bestcolleges.com, but this isn’t the first time the nursing division has been acknowledged for such matters.
Both the traditional and online nursing programs have received honors in the past pertaining to their affordability.
The online nursing program was also ranked #8 on best online colleges in Oklahoma and #15 on best colleges in Oklahoma for 2023 by Bestcolleges.com.
“We were really excited about the press release,” said Dr. Leslie Collins, Charles Morton Share Trust Division of Nursing chair and associate professor of nursing. “This brings really great attention to something that we strive really hard for.”
Collins explained that the nursing division prioritizes the affordability of their programs. She said that Northwestern has that initiative with insuring cost for tuition and fees is good for students. She further explained that the cost of the program is looked at from a division standpoint, and that every fee is evaluated to ensure its financially responsible for students.
She mentioned that they want to make sure the nursing students get the most out of what they’re paying and they also work to determine if what they’re paying for is going to be beneficial for them.
Collins said that one of the nursing division’s goals is to help students in the program meet their goals and aspirations of who they want to become in their profession.
She explained that when members of the division are looking at fees and costs for students as a whole, it starts with the tuition and fees at the university level. She said they try to focus on the cost of the products they’re asking students to purchase, the benefit of said product and how it will improve students’ learning to ensure they’re prepared to care for the people they will encounter in their careers.
“It was great to be acknowledged because it takes a lot of team work between our division faculty and staff, our students and Northwestern as a whole,” Collins said. “It’s so important because the need for nursing continues to grow and we want to make sure that we are helping meet that need and that we are doing it in a way that doesn’t cause a financial hardship for students.
