It is the nation's first and oldest continuously operated university-based school of nursing.
[3][4][5] It is ranked amongst the nation's top nursing schools, it has a research budget of $6 million each year, and produces more than half of the faculty in Minnesota's public and private nursing schools and advanced practice nurses.
University of Minnesota School of Nursing Timeline[8]: 166–173 [9][10]: 229–231 The School is organized into Cooperative Units instead of traditional departments.
These are: In 2013 the University of Minnesota built the Bentson Center, an 11,000 square foot renovated space that includes multiple care simulation labs, a large study space, and work stations.
The center was named to honor the Bentson Foundation who, along with HealthPartners, donated a majority of the funds to build the facility.