Most recent U.S. News Graduate program rankings, by department
(Editor’s note: Updated in April 2025)
U.S. News & World Report issues its “Best Graduate Schools” rankings annually, but not all programs are ranked in a given year.
Some disciplines are surveyed annually, while others are on a rotating cycle. The most recent ranking year released is the 2024 edition, with the year before being the 2023 edition.
Following are the most recent U.S. News Graduate rankings for each UW–Madison graduate program, and the ranking year that it was issued:
Audiology: 14th overall (four-way tie), listed as the University of Wisconsin AuD Consortium (Madison & Stevens Point). Last ranked in the 2025 edition.
Biology: 17th overall (six-way tie). Ranked Specialties include 13th in cell biology (three-way tie), fourth in microbiology, 12th in ecology/evolutionary biology (four-way tie), ninth in genetics and 11th in biochemistry/biophysics/structural biology (two-way tie). Last ranked in 2023 edition.
Business: 40th overall for the full-time MBA program (two-way tie) and 29th in part-time MBA programs (two-way tie). Ranked specialties include 6th in real estate, 33rd in management (four-way tie), and 34th in marketing. Last ranked in 2025 edition.
Chemistry: 14th overall (two-way tie). Ranked specialties include eighth in analytical, 16th in biochemistry (three-way tie), seventh in inorganic (three-way tie), 12th in organic, ninth in physical (four-way tie) and 10th in theoretical (two-way tie). Last ranked in 2023-2024 edition.
Clinical Psychology: 14th overall (nine-way tie). Last ranked in the 2025 edition.
Computer Science: 13th overall (three-way tie). Ranked specialties include 12th in programming language,12th in systems, 20th in theory, and 24th in artificial intelligence (two-way tie). Last ranked in 2025 edition.
Earth Sciences: 20th overall (four-way tie). Ranked specialties include 10th in geochemistry and 16th in geology (two-way tie). Last ranked in 2023-2024 edition.
Economics: 15th overall (four-way tie). Last ranked in 2025 edition.
Education: 1st overall. Ranked specialties include 1st in curriculum and instruction (two-way tie), 1st in educational psychology, 3rd in elementary teacher education, 4th in educational administration and supervision (three-way tie), 4th in education policy, 4th in secondary teacher education, 6th in special education (two-way tie), 6th in student counseling (three-way tie), and 11th in higher education administration. Last ranked in 2025 edition.
Engineering: 27th overall (four-way tie). Ranked specialties include 3rd in nuclear engineering (three-way tie), 7th in industrial/manufacturing/systems engineering (three-way tie), 12th in chemical engineering (two-way tie), 15th in biological/agricultural engineering (three-way tie), 15th in computer engineering (two-way tie), 15th in electrical/electronic/communications engineering (three-way tie), 17th in civil engineering (three-way tie), 17th in mechanical engineering (five-way tie), 18th in materials engineering (three-way tie), 21st in environmental/environmental health engineering (two-way tie), and 24th in biomedical/bioengineering (four-way tie). Last ranked in 2025 edition
English: 21st overall (five-way tie). Last ranked in 2021 edition.
Fine Arts: 15th (eight-way tie). Ranked specialties include printmaking (first). Last ranked in 2021 edition.
Health Specialties: 16th in audiology, listed as University of Wisconsin AuD Consortium (Madison & Stevens Point) (three-way tie), clinical psychology (7th in a 10-way tie), physical therapy (26th in a three-way tie), occupational therapy (16th in a three-way tie), pharmacy (9th in a three-way tie), speech-language pathology (2nd in a two-way tie). Last ranked in 2024 edition.
History: 13th overall (six-way tie). Last ranked in 2025 edition.
Law: 28th overall (three-way tie). Ranked specialties include 7th in law schools with most grads in public interest law, 23rd in constitutional law (three-way tie), 34th in criminal law (six-way tie), 34th in legal writing (ten-way tie), 35th in business/corporate law (six-way tie), 35th in contracts/commercial law (nine-way tie), 37th in international law (four-way tie), 38th in environmental law (six-way tie), 41st in tax law (nine-way tie), 43rd in clinical training (ten-way tie), 69th in health care law (seven-way tie), 72nd in dispute resolution (fourteen-way tie), 73rd in intellectual property (eight-way tie), and 126th in trial advocacy (11-way tie). Last ranked in 2025 edition.
* The University of Wisconsin Law School has created a webpage with information to help prospective students navigate data in light of its decision to withdraw from the U.S. News & World Report rankings survey in 2023.
Library and Information Studies: 11th overall. Last ranked in 2025 edition.
Mathematics: 16th overall (four-way tie). Ranked specialties include 11th in algebra (two-way tie), 20th in analysis (three-way tie) and 22nd in applied math (two-way tie). Last ranked in 2023-2024 edition.
Medicine: Best Medical Schools are ranked in one of 4 tiers. Tier 2 for Overall: Research and Tier 2 for Overall: Primary Care. Ranked specialties include 14th in most graduates practicing in rural areas, 54th in most graduates practicing in primary care (two-way tie), and 64th in most graduates practicing in medically underserved areas. Last ranked in 2025 edition.
Nursing: 64th overall among schools offering a Doctor of Nursing Practice (four-way tie). Last ranked in 2025 edition.
Occupational Therapy: 9th overall (six-way tie). Last ranked in the 2025 edition.
Physician Assistant: 26th overall (nine-way tie). Last ranked in 2025 edition.
Physical Therapy: 33rd overall (four-way tie). Last ranked in the 2025 edition.
Physics: 21st overall (seven-way tie). Ranked specialties include 12th in elementary particles/field/string theory (three-way tie). Last ranked in 2023-2024 edition.
Political Science: 15th overall (three-way tie). Last ranked in 2025 edition.
Psychology: 8th overall (six-way tie). Last ranked in 2025 edition.
Public Affairs: 21st overall (six-way tie). Ranked specialties include 5th in social policy and 17th in public policy analysis (two-way tie). Last ranked in 2025 edition.
Public Health: 27th overall (fifteen-way tie). Ranked specialties include 16th in biostatistics (two-way tie). Last ranked in 2025 edition.
Rehabilitation Counseling: 1st overall. Last ranked in 2025 edition.
Social Work: 20th overall (four-way tie). Last ranked in 2024 edition.
Sociology:
Sociology: 9th overall (two-way tie). Last ranked in 2025 edition.
Speech-Language Pathology: 3rd overall (two-way tie). Last ranked in the 2025 edition.
Statistics: 13th overall (six-way tie). Last ranked in 2023 edition.
Veterinary Medicine: 5th overall (five-way tie). Last ranked in 2025 edition.
