Why Southern’s School of Nursing was named the best in the nation

Last year, the Southern University School of Nursing was named the No. 1 nursing school in the U.S. by Nurse.org. Sandra Brown, the school’s dean, says the recognition was about impact rather than resources.

Speaking Wednesday to the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge, Brown said Southern asked Nurse.org why its program stood out among finalists that included Emory University, Florida State University, the University of Michigan and the University of Washington.

“We asked, ‘Why us?’” Brown told the audience of Rotarians. “They said, ‘It’s because of the impact you all are making.’ And we learned right then and there that excellence is not about having much, but about doing much with what you have.”

Southern’s College of Nursing and Allied Health offers 11 degree programs ranging from bachelor’s degrees to doctoral programs and accounts for roughly 29% of Southern’s total enrollment.

Brown highlighted three major areas of impact she said helped propel the university’s nursing program to national recognition:

• Community health outreach: Through its “Jagmobile,” a mobile health clinic launched in partnership with Ochsner, Southern delivers health screenings and services in underserved communities. Over three years, the Jagmobile has visited 99 sites across nine parishes and 22 ZIP codes. In 2025, it delivered 6,000 screenings and made 1,100 referrals.
• Strengthening the health care workforce pipeline: Louisiana currently has about 3,000 vacant registered nurse positions, a number expected to grow to 6,000 by 2030. Southern is working to close that gap by expanding enrollment where possible. Hospitals often recruit graduates immediately, Brown said, noting that one hospital CEO recently told her they could hire an entire graduating class.
• Increasing diversity in nursing: Southern has developed what Brown said is the largest cohort of male nursing students in the country. Nursing remains a predominantly female profession, with men accounting for less than 5% of nurses and Black men accounting for less than 1%.

Looking forward, Brown said Southern is preparing to replace its current nursing building with a new 69,000-square-foot facility funded in part by $5 million donations from Our Lady of the Lake and Woman’s Hospital. The new building will double the nursing school’s enrollment capacity.

“We believe we have a bright future ahead,” Brown said.

Southern’s School of Nursing has been named a finalist for Nurse.org’s 2026 Best Nursing School award. Whether the university takes home the top honor for the second year in a row will be revealed in the coming weeks.