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U.S. News places UW–Madison graduate schools high in 2022 rankings

March 30, 2021 By Käri Knutson

UW–Madison graduate programs are once again ranked among the nation’s best in the 2022 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools.”

“Our graduate students are an integral part of our university,” Provost John Karl Scholz says. “These rankings are one example of the world-class education, research and outreach that happen here every day.”

Highlights include the School of Education ranking fourth nationwide for the second year in a row. It was also the second highest ranked public university. Housed in the College of Letters & Science, history was ranked 11th overall and two sub-specialties were recognized: African history received a first place ranking and women’s history received a second-place ranking.

“This recognition is a testament to our outstanding faculty and staff who continue to build upon our rich history of graduate education and research in a wide range of disciplines,” says William Karpus, dean of UW–Madison’s Graduate School. “We are proud of our students’ commitment to deepen their knowledge as well as their accomplishments that benefit the citizens of our state, country and world.”

U.S. News does not rank all programs each year. View the most recent rankings for every UW–Madison graduate program, as well as last year’s rankings.

The UW–Madison programs ranked this year are:

Business: 42nd for full-time MBA program (two-way tie); 20th for part-time MBA (two-way tie). Ranked specialties include 28th in accounting (four-way tie), 18th in marketing (two-way tie) and fifth in real estate.

Economics: 16th (four-way tie). Ranked specialties include 8th in econometrics, 11th in international economics (three-way tie), 12th in industrial organizations, 10th in labor economics, 15th in macroeconomics and 13th in microeconomics.

Education: Fourth overall, and second among public universities. Ranked specialties include fourth in curriculum and instruction, third in educational administration, sixth in education policy (two-way tie), third in educational psychology, fourth in elementary teacher education, 10th in higher education administration (three-way tie), second in secondary teacher education, sixth in special education and third in student counseling.

Engineering: 26th (three-way tie). Ranked specialties include 14th in agricultural (two-way tie), 21st in biomedical (three-way tie), 12th in chemical (two-way tie), 17th in civil (three-way tie), 14th in computer (two-way tie), 16th in electrical/electronic/communications (four-way tie), 20th in environmental (two-way tie), 8th in industrial (two-way tie), 15th in materials (two-way tie), 17th in mechanical (eight-way tie), seventh in nuclear (three-way tie).

English: 24th (two-way tie).

History: 11th (five-way tie). Ranked specialties include first in African history, 12th in cultural history (three-way tie), 12th in European history (two-way tie), 14th in Latin American history (two-way tie), 13th in modern U.S. history (three-way tie) and second in women’s history.

Law: 29th. Ranked specialties include 41st in dispute resolution (four-way tie), 36th in business – corporate law (eight-way tie), 56th in clinical training (eight-way tie), 27th in constitutional law (six-way tie), 26th in contracts – commercial law (eight-way tie), 30th in criminal law (six-way tie), 42nd in environmental law (two-way tie), 45th in health care law (12-way tie), 35th in international law (four-way tie) and 53rd in tax law (seven-way tie).

Library and Information Studies: 11th (three-way tie). Ranked specialties include eighth in archives and preservation, and ninth in services for youth and children (three-way tie).

Medicine: Research, 33rd (three-way tie). Ranked 12th overall in primary care (two-way tie). Ranked specialties include sixth in family medicine, and 23rd in surgery (two-way tie). New Graduate Practice Rankings: 24th in rural, 51st in primary care production (two-way tie). Medical School Diversity Rank, 39th.

Nursing: 33rd in schools with a doctor of nursing practice (three-way tie).

Political Science: 17th (two-way tie). Ranked specialties include 16th in American politics, 16th in comparative politics (two-way tie), and 14th in international politics (two-way tie).

Public Affairs: 25th (three-way tie). Ranked specialties include 11th in health policy and management, 36th in public management and leadership (two-way tie), 21st in public policy analysis, and fourth in social policy.

Public Health: 24th (seven-way tie).

Sociology: Seventh (four-way tie). Ranked specialties include eighth in economic sociology (two-way tie), eighth in historical sociology (two-way tie), ninth in sex and gender (two-way tie), third in sociology of population (two-way tie) and second in social stratification.