Students, staff react to MGCCC’s associate nursing degree program gaining national recognition

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s associate nursing degree program is ranked top 10 in the nation and number one in the state.

The college was recently ranked by RNCareers.org. According to vice president of the nursing program Joan Hendrix, the ranking is based on the NCLEX exam, pass rates, program outcomes, and quality of education.

“We’ve been ranked several times as the number one community college in the state. We hit the national rankings, but this is the highest we’ve ever gotten in the top 10,” Hendrix said. “Our students worked very hard. Our faculty worked very hard to get the students to the level employers expect.”

Faculty member Dr. Jennifer Hurlbert thinks a big part of the college’s success is due to students’ hard effort.

“I think our students are part of our success. They’re eager to learn and get into the healthcare field. They all have different backgrounds, different goals, but all want to take care of people,” Hurlbert said.

Student Amber Granger is proud of being a student in a top ranked school. Like her, many other students work while attending the program. Therefore, picking a college that invests in students’ success is important.

“The students are obtaining the information that the instructors are giving out. The ultimate goal is to pass the NCLEX. To obtain that license, so apparently, they are doing something right,” Granger said.

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