What Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing does

Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing is a constituent academic college within The Pennsylvania State University, a public state-related land-grant university. Founded in its current form in 2013 and renamed in 2021 following a major donor gift, the college is the only named nursing school in the Big Ten Conference and one of the largest educators of pre-licensure nursing students in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with over 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students distributed across 13 Penn State campuses and the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Its portfolio spans the full credentialing pathway: a four-year General BSN, online RN-to-BSN completion, a 16-month Second Degree accelerated track, undergraduate certificates (Nursing Forensics, Informatics, Management), MSN programs (Nurse Administrator, Nurse Educator), four DNP tracks (Nurse Educator, Leadership, Nurse Practitioner specializations, and Nurse Anesthesia), and a research-oriented PhD. Teaching is delivered campus-based, online via Penn State World Campus, and through 700+ clinical partnerships enabling students to complete rotations close to home, supplemented by study abroad in Honduras, Costa Rica, Ireland, London, and Greece.

The college's technology footprint centers on simulation-based learning through a multi-suite Nursing Simulation Laboratory (pediatric, critical care, home health, maternity/newborn, health assessment, and advanced practice primary care) using high-fidelity human patient simulators with recording and debriefing capability. Three specialized research centers anchor its R&D: the Tressa Nese and Helen Diskevich Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, the SAFE-T Center (Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Telehealth), and the Center for Immersive Learning and Digital Innovation (CILDI). The college holds CCNE accreditation across baccalaureate, master's, DNP, and post-graduate APRN certificate programs, NLN Center of Excellence designation (the only nursing school in Pennsylvania with this status as of 2022), and pending COA accreditation for the DNP-Nurse Anesthesia program.

The college's revenue model rests on tuition and fees at Penn State-set rates (in-state and out-of-state), state appropriations flowing through the parent university, externally awarded research grants and contracts (over $17 million in cumulative research expenditures since 2013, including $8M+ for gerontology, $4M+ for SAFE-T, and $1.5M+ for clinical/translational science), and philanthropic donations and endowments (scholarships established with a $20,000 minimum gift floor). Its go-to-market is multi-channel: a top-of-funnel digital presence (website, X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), mid-funnel information sessions, and bottom-of-funnel online enrollment through Penn State World Campus. Student recruitment uses direct admission for first-year students and competitive entrance review for transfer and graduate candidates, including a holistic DNP-Nurse Anesthesia admissions process. Customer concentrations are diffuse: individual students in undergraduate and graduate programs, employer-partners in healthcare systems consuming clinical placements, and donor-advised funds contributing scholarship capital.

Name

Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing

Legal name

The Pennsylvania State University

Website

https://nursing.psu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing is the only named nursing school in the Big Ten, educating over 2,200 BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD students across 13 Pennsylvania campuses via simulation labs, online World Campus delivery, and 700+ clinical partnerships under Penn State University.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nursing Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Schools of Nursing (EDAHAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Healthcare & Nursing Universities (Allied Health, RN-to-BSN, etc.) (EDAHALAF), Medicine & Allied Health (Clinical) (EDAGABAG)

Keywords

• Nursing education
• BSN degree programs
• Graduate nursing programs
• Doctoral nursing degrees
• Clinical nursing training

Headquarters

HQ city

University Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from undergraduate and graduate tuition, with specific program fees for clinical programs like DNP-Nurse Anesthesia including 94 credits and 2,700 clinical hours.
2. Research Grants and Funding: Over $17 million in research expenditures since college's inception in 2013, including over $8 million for gerontology research, over $4 million for SAFE-T Center, and approximately $1.5 million for clinical and translational science.
3. Donations and Endowments: Annual gifts, endowment contributions, and planned giving programs including bequests, real estate gifts, insurance gifts, and life income gifts. Endowments established with minimum $20,000 contribution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing delivers comprehensive nursing education from entry-level baccalaureate (BSN) through doctoral (PhD) degrees across 13 Penn State campuses and online via Penn State World Campus. Programs include traditional BSN, RN-to-BSN, accelerated Second Degree, graduate certificates, MSN in Nurse Administrator and Nurse Educator, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with multiple specializations (Nurse Educator, Leadership, Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Anesthesia), and a PhD in Nursing. The college supplements classroom learning with a state-of-the-art Nursing Simulation Laboratory and operates specialized research centers.

Product overview

Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing operates as a comprehensive nursing education institution offering a full spectrum of degree programs across undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. The portfolio includes traditional BSN pathways (General BSN, RN-to-BSN, Second Degree Accelerated), undergraduate certificates (Nursing Forensics, Nursing Informatics, Nursing Management), MSN programs (Nurse Administrator, Nurse Educator), Doctor of Nursing Practice programs with multiple tracks (Nurse Educator, Leadership, Nurse Practitioner specializations, Nurse Anesthesia), and PhD in Nursing. All programs are delivered primarily online or in hybrid formats across 12+ Penn State campuses. The college also operates a Nursing Simulation Laboratory for hands-on clinical training and houses specialized research centers including the Center for Geriatric Nursing Excellence, SAFE-T Center (Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Telehealth), and Center for Immersive Learning and Digital Innovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SAFE-T Center: Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Telehealth Center providing telehealth services for forensic examinations.
• Tressa Nese and Helen Diskevich Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence
• Center for Immersive Learning and Digital Innovation (CILDI)
• Age-Friendly Care, PA
• WE LEAD Nursing Leadership Academy

Products and services

• General BSN Degree Program Traditional four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program for students who have never completed a nursing program; prepares graduates for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam and careers as registered nurses.
• RN to BSN Degree Program Online degree completion program for registered nurses who hold an associate degree or diploma in nursing to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing through full- or part-time study.
• Second Degree Program (Accelerated BSN) Accelerated 16-month intensive program for individuals who already hold a bachelor's degree in another field, preparing them for NCLEX-RN licensure and careers as registered nurses.
• Undergraduate Certificates in Nursing Forensics, Nursing Informatics, and Nursing Management Specialized certificate programs for registered nurses: 12-credit Nursing Forensics (bridging medicine and law), 9-credit Nursing Informatics (electronic health records, clinical decision support), and 12-credit Nursing Management (healthcare organization, administration, human resources). All offered online through Penn State World Campus.
• MSN - Nurse Administrator Program Master of Science in Nursing program preparing students for leadership and administrative roles in healthcare settings, covering organizational leadership, health policy, and evidence-based healthcare delivery; delivered online.
• MSN - Nurse Educator Program Master of Science in Nursing program providing advanced knowledge of evidence-based teaching and learning principles, curriculum development, and evaluative techniques for educator roles in academic and healthcare settings.
• Graduate Certificates (Nurse Administrator, Nurse Educator, Post-Graduate APRN) Graduate certificate programs including Nurse Administrator (9 credits covering healthcare policy, leadership, human resources), Nurse Educator (9 credits covering education theories, assessment, curriculum development), and Post-Graduate APRN Certificates (Acute Care AGNP, Primary Care AGNP, Family NP, Psych-Mental Health NP) with 600+ practicum hours each.
• DNP - Nurse Educator Option Doctor of Nursing Practice program for experienced nurses passionate about teaching, combining online coursework with in-person intensives; typically 8 semesters (3 years) part-time for BSN entry, equipping graduates to teach in academic and clinical settings.
• DNP - Leadership Option Hybrid Doctor of Nursing Practice program designed for experienced nurses seeking high-level leadership, systems thinking, and policy expertise to improve patient outcomes and drive innovation in complex healthcare environments.
• DNP - Nurse Practitioner Options (Acute Care AGNP, Primary Care AGNP, Family NP, Psych-Mental Health NP) Hybrid Doctor of Nursing Practice program preparing graduates for national NP certification exams with four specializations: Acute Care Adult-Gerontology NP, Primary Care Adult-Gerontology NP, Family/Individual Across Lifespan NP, and Psych-Mental Health NP; typically 8 semesters part-time for BSN entry.
• DNP - Nurse Anesthesia Program Full-time, in-person Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia (DNP-NA) program based at Hershey campus; spans 36 months with 94 credits and 2,700 clinical hours, preparing students for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) certification.
• PhD in Nursing Program Doctoral program preparing nurse scientists for leadership through scientific inquiry; offers BSN-to-PhD, MS/MSN-to-PhD tracks, and Dual-Title PhD in Nursing & Clinical and Translational Sciences with individualized mentorship in gerontology, palliative care, health disparities, telehealth, and nursing education.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Penn State College of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative academic-practice partnership for the DNP-Nurse Anesthesia program. The program is based at the Hershey Campus with clinical rotations within Penn State Health Network.
• Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA)coreOthersAccrediting body for nurse anesthesia programs. DNP-NA accreditation is pending final approval from COA. Located at 10275 W. Higgins Rd., Suite 906, Rosemont, IL 60018-5603.
• Penn State Health NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary clinical partner for DNP-Nurse Anesthesia program offering structured clinical rotations. Students may rotate to up to seven clinical sites within the network.
• Clinical Partners (700+)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare facilities and clinical sites enabling students to complete clinical rotations close to home. Partners include hospitals, outpatient clinics, community care facilities, mental health facilities, home health agencies, and long-term care facilities across Pennsylvania and beyond.
• Global BrigadesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. Penn State chapter offers medical, public health, and related chapters for nursing students with trips worldwide focusing on water, environment, nutrition, education, or healthcare.
• Healthy Niños HondurasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Penn State Schuylkill for NURS 499, allowing students to study nursing issues in foreign countries and volunteer for one week during spring semester.
• 396th Combat Support HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical partnership site at 15005 NE 65th Street, Vancouver, WA 98666 for military healthcare training experiences.
• Abington Jefferson HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical partnership including Abington Memorial Hospital, Lansdale Hospital, and Abington-Jefferson Health Home Care at 1200 Old York Road, Abington, PA 19001.
• Carlisle Regional Medical CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical partnership including Advanced Wound Healing Center at 366 Alexander Spring Road, Carlisle, PA 17015, part of Pinnacle Health System.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PSUNursing
• Facebookfacebook.com/pennstatenursing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/penn-state-nursing
• Instagraminstagram.com/psunursing

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing