Rutgers School of Nursing has been recognized for its sustained leadership in academic excellence and institutional inclusivity, receiving the prestigious 2025 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) Award from Insight Into Academia magazine.
This marks the fourth consecutive year the school has earned the HEED Award, solidifying its status as a national leader in fostering a culture of belonging across its educational, research, and practice initiatives. Rutgers is one of only 10 schools of nursing nationwide to receive the honor in 2025.
The HEED Award is the only national honor recognizing U.S. health profession schools for advancing both excellence and inclusion. Recipients are selected through a rigorous national review of admissions practices, student and faculty support, leadership engagement, and community partnerships.
“Receiving this award once again affirms our school’s ongoing commitment to fostering inclusion and belonging across nursing education, research and practice,” Angela Starkweather, dean and professor of Rutgers School of Nursing said. “Excellence in nursing requires us to prepare clinicians, scientists, and leaders who reflect the communities they serve and who advance health for all. These values are woven into every part of the student experience.”
Lenore Pearstein, co-publisher of Insight Into Academia, praised the school’s continuous achievement. “Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where academic excellence and belonging are woven into the work being done every day across the campus.”
Initiatives driving excellence
Rutgers School of Nursing has strengthened several programs to support student and faculty achievement, aligning with the HEED Award criteria:
- Multicultural Nurse Leadership Institute: Relaunched in 2025 to foster leadership development and mentorship for students and professionals.
- Impact Dialogue Circles: Structured forums for students, faculty, and staff to share ideas and shape school culture.
- Educational Opportunity Fund: Provides critical academic and financial support to ensure the success of first-generation students.
- Center for Health Equity and Systems Research: A newly created center dedicated to generating best practices for improving health care outcomes and delivery.
In addition to the HEED Award, Rutgers School of Nursing also recently received the Best Schools for Men in Nursing Award from the American Association for Men in Nursing, further underscoring its commitment to diversity and inclusion within the profession.
