The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Nursing and Health Studies has been ranked in the Top 30 of the nation’s best graduate nursing programs by U.S. News & World Report.

UMKC’s No. 28 ranking, released Tuesday, is the highest of any public university in Missouri or Kansas. This is part of the newly expanded U.S. News Best Nursing Schools rankings and part of the “Best Graduate Schools 2016” guidebook.

“We’re thrilled by our ranking among our peers,” said Ann Cary, dean of the UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies. “Our faculty are unparalleled in quality and commitment to outstanding education for our students. Nurses with graduate degrees serve vital roles in administration, education, practice, management and research.”

For the first edition of U.S. News’ expanded rankings, the publication chose to rank master’s programs because they account for the largest graduate enrollment in nursing with about 500 accredited programs. Starting with the ranking published next year, U.S. News plans to separately rank both master’s and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs. DNP programs prepare graduates for the highest level of clinical practice and are rapidly growing, with 150 accredited programs and more on the way. UMKC has both post-BSN and post-master’s DNP programs.

The U.S. News rankings of master’s programs are based on a weighted average of 13 indicators such as student selectivity and achievement, mean undergraduate grade-point average, acceptance rate, faculty resources, student-faculty ratio, faculty credentials and research activity. Rankings from prior years were based more on reputation.

This isn’t the first time U.S. News has honored the UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies. Since 2012, U.S. News has ranked the nation’s best online graduate nursing programs. Each year, UMKC has earned a spot in the Top 20 (2014: 18; 2013: 10; 2012: 15).