University of Georgia graduate programs remained among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools. The School of Law tied for 35th and the College of Education tied for 46th.

In specialty rankings, College of Education graduate programs ranked in the top 20 in the nation in 9 out of 10 possible categories. Five of those programs ranked among the top six.

“Rankings such as these are satisfying because they are a reflection of the quality of the programs at the University of Georgia,” said UGA President Michael F. Adams. “As we begin to implement a new strategic plan with a focus on graduate and professional education, we do so knowing that the foundation on which we will expand is strong and the state of Georgia is well-served by these programs.”

Maureen Grasso, dean of the UGA Graduate School said, “UGA’s graduate programs do an outstanding job of preparing our students for success in the 21st century.  The excellent teaching and research conducted by our faculty provide our graduates with the knowledge and skills they need to make an impact in our local and global communities as they drive the economic competitiveness of Georgia.”

The College of Education ranked 46th overall in a tie with Temple University, but was ranked 32nd among public universities in the nation. The college was ranked 3rd among public universities in the Southeast.

“These rankings confirm the college’s excellence across a broad range of academic endeavors, from K-12 teacher education to curriculum/instruction to counseling,” said Arthur M. (Andy) Horne, dean and Distinguished Research Professor of the College of Education. “Equally important, however, is what numerical rankings cannot measure: the University of Georgia’s profound commitment to expanding educational opportunities for every student and improving our communities in Georgia and across the nation.”

Five of the College of Education’s specialty programs remain ranked in the top six and four  more ranked among the top 20 in the nation. Remarkably, UGA education graduate programs are ranked among the top 20 in the nation in 9 out of 10 possible categories. Below are the 2012 program rankings with last year’s ranking in parentheses:

 

In the Top 10
2nd Vocational Technical (3)
2nd Counseling/Personnel Services (4)
5th Secondary Education (3)
5th Higher Education Administration (6)
6th Elementary Education (3)

In the Top 20
11th Curriculum/Instruction (8)
14th Educational Psychology (14)
16th Special Education (13)
19th Administration/Supervision (NR)

How UGA College of Education specialty rankings compare with highest ranked universities…

4th in number of  Top 10 programs
Among the highest-ranked universities UGA had as many or more programs in the Top 10 nationally than all but four other institutions.  Below are the numbers for the top 15 ranked colleges of education:

University	Ranked	# of Programs in Top 10
Georgia	46	5
Vanderbilt	1	7
Harvard	2	2
Univ. Texas – Austin	2	2
Stanford	4	5
Teachers College-Columbia	4	6
Univ. Calif. – Los Angeles	6	3
Northwestern	7	0
Univ. of Oregon	8	1
Univ. of Michigan	9	6
Univ. of Washington	9	5
Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison	9	8
Univ. of Calif. – Berkeley	12	2
Univ. of Pennsylvania	12	1
Univ. of Southern California	12	2
Boston College	15	0
New York University	15	0

 

1st  in number of Top 20 programs
And, perhaps even more impressive, UGA had more graduate education programs ranked in the Top 20 specialty programs than all but two of the highest ranked institutions—No. 1 Vanderbilt and No. 4 Teachers College—and tied them with nine Top 20 programs in 10 possible categories.

University	Ranked	# of Programs in Top 20
Georgia	46	9
Vanderbilt	1	9
Harvard	2	6
Univ. Texas – Austin	2	7
Stanford	4	7
Teachers College-Columbia	4	9
Univ. Calif. – Los Angeles	6	7
Northwestern	7	2
Univ. of Oregon	8	1
Univ. of Michigan	9	7
Univ. of Washington	9	6
Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison	9	8
Univ. of Calif. – Berkeley	12	4
Univ. of Pennsylvania	12	3
Univ. of Southern California	12	2
Boston College	15	2
New York University	15	3

How UGA compares to its Southeastern Conference colleagues
Except for Vanderbilt University,which was ranked the No. 1 college of education  in the nation, UGA graduate education programs were ranked much better than our Southeastern Conference colleagues.

SEC Universities	Ranked Nationally	# of Programs in Top 10
Vanderbilt University	1	7
University of Georgia	46	5
University of Florida	52	2
University of Tennessee Auburn University	58 71	0 0
University of Kentucky	83 (tied)	0
University of Alabama	83 (tied)	0
University of Mississippi	86	0
Mississippi State University	104	0
University of South Carolina	112	0
Louisiana State University	116	0
University of Arkansas	Not Ranked	0

 

While coming in at 35th overall on the list, the School of Law is ranked among the top 14 public law schools in the nation and among the top four public schools in the Southeast.

“Rankings continue to provide a snapshot look of an institution and only some of its programming,” School of Law Dean Rebecca Hanner White said. “At Georgia Law, we offer the whole experience—dedicated teachers who are productive scholars, a challenging and varied curriculum, numerous co-curricular opportunities via 12 clinics and four study/work abroad programs, a talented student body and a collegial atmosphere. Our goal, year in and year out, is to provide one of the finest legal educations in the country at an attractive cost.

“Additionally, we are pleased our graduates continue to be prepared for the practice of law as evidenced by the fact that five of our graduates have been selected over the past seven years to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court judicial clerk, the most prestigious appointment a new lawyer can obtain.”

The doctor of veterinary medicine program tied for ninth. “We are pleased that the U.S. News and World Report ranking recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine in recent years, reflecting the achievements of our great faculty, staff and students,” said Dr. Sheila W. Allen, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

The biological and agricultural engineering program, within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, ranked 12th.

The biological sciences program, within the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, tied for 46th.

The School of Public and International Affairs’ master of public administration degree program continues to be ranked 4th in the nation, and the 2nd best among public universities. SPIA also has four highly ranked specialty programs. Both the specialization in public finance and budgeting as well as the specialization in public management and administration continue to be ranked 2nd in the nation. The nonprofit management specialization is ranked 11th and the public policy analysis specialization is ranked 16th.

Other programs with current rankings include: clinical psychology tied for 33rd, master of fine arts tied for 37th, and psychology tied for 50th.

The rankings, with the methodology, are available online at
http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools. Highlights of the graduate school rankings will be published in the Best Graduate Schools 2012 edition book, available April 5.