On January 5, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced during her first-ever State of the State address that New York would provide $10 billion to support the healthcare industry, including $4 billion to support wages and bonuses for workers in a health care sector and $2 billion for improved healthcare infrastructure.
This news comes at a time when Maria College, long-known for its excellence in healthcare and nursing education in the Capital Region and beyond, has been ranked amongst the top schools by multiple national third-party sources. Additionally, most nursing students study at independent sector institutions like Maria College. In 2019-20, independent sector institutions awarded 58 percent of nursing degrees at all levels awarded in the state, a total of 9,253 total degrees.
“Maria College has consistently ranked among the top schools in the country and in the Capital Region for healthcare professions, including nursing,” said Maria College President Thomas Gamble. “We applaud Governor Hochul’s commitment to improving the pipeline of healthcare workers and look forward to being a critical partner in this resurgence as well as to continue our mission to provide career-relevant, opportunity education in healthcare and beyond.”
Among those rankings, the College was ranked:
- Among the top nursing schools in the Capital Region by Nursing Almanac based on the first-time passing rates for the NCLEX exam.
- #4 out of 67 schools on the Nursing Schools Almanac 2021 rankings of the best licensed practical nursing (LPN) programs in New York State. It is also the top-ranking program in the Capital Region.
- Top 6% nationally for 2022 Most Focused Colleges for Nursing; ranked #113 out of 2,073 colleges and universities by College Factual.
- Top 20% nationally for 2022 Best Occupational Therapist Assistant Schools; ranked #34 out of 180 colleges and universities by College Factual.
- #3 for “Best Associate Degrees in New York” by University HQ.
According the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 16 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations, adding about 2.6 million new jobs. Healthcare occupations are projected to add more jobs than any of the other occupational groups. This projected growth is mainly due to an aging population, leading to greater demand for healthcare services.
“The need for nurses and other healthcare professionals has never been greater,” said Gamble. “We encourage anyone on the fence about making a career change or those with a compassionate and caring nature to consider Maria College for your education. Maria offers multiple pathways and career options, with state-of-the-art facilities and flexible schedules for the new or returning student.”