Ranking: MGCCC nursing program among the best in the state

Nursing students take note: A registered nurse in Mississippi makes an annual salary of approximately $56,980, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Employment of registered nurses in the United States is projected to grow 16 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to BLS.

The good news is that the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s registered nursing program is among the best in the state, according to a recent ranking.

RegisteredNursing.org, an online national nursing organization, examined and ranked nursing programs across the country.

In Mississippi, MGCCC received a fifth place ranking overall, behind the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Mississippi University for Women, Delta State University and Jones County Junior College.

William Carey University came in sixth in the ranking.

MGCCC received a 94 percent pass rate for registered nurses and 100 percent for practical nurses on the 2016 National Council Licensure Examination. All boards of nursing in the United States require candidates to pass the exam for licensure.

The nursing program has about 425 students but is expected to grow to more than 700, said Dr. Joan Hendrix, dean of nursing and allied health at MGCCC. The college started construction in June on a new nursing school and simulation center in the Tradition area of Harrison County. The center will welcome its first class in January 2018.

“Our programs work very closely with industry partners to ensure we are meeting their needs with our training,” Hendrix said. “Our students know they can get good jobs because the MGCCC reputation means something.”

RegisteredNursing.org looked at 23 state colleges and universities in its analysis.

This story was originally published February 22, 2017 at 12:04 PM with the headline "Ranking: MGCCC nursing program among the best in the state."