Which colleges produce the most nurses? A Minnesota look

I spaced out completely yesterday while posting on the national data on schools that produce the most nurses. I didn't include similar data for Minnesota.

We'll make up for that today with a few graphics.

Below is data on students who completed a two year or four year RN track program in 2009 at a Minnesota-based college. The numbers come from the federal IPEDS database.

I focused on those two degree programs because they're the most likely to produce new nurses that add to the supply. (Some bachelor's programs target working nurses moving up the degree ladder and so don't add to supply.)

Here are the Minnesota institutions producing the most two year RN graduates:

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And here are the major four year institutions:

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(Thanks to Josh Wright from the research firm EMSI for pulling the IPEDS Minnesota data together for us.)

Here's a look from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education on the growth of bachelor's and associate's degree graduates from RN programs. It shows about a 50 percent increase in annual graduates over four years, from 2004 to 2008.

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That jump has come in years (even before the recession) when statewide RN vacancies were relatively flat -- and then took a dramatic dive.

(Source: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system)

There's no doubt the recession is to blame for Minnesota RN vacancies falling off a cliff in 2009.

Demand for new nurses in Minnesota will bounce back. But when does that happen? How will it affect the job choices for nurses, especially graduates from two year programs, in the short run?

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