Several of UConn’s graduate and professional degree programs rank among the nation’s best, reflecting its emphasis on providing an innovative, rigorous, and supportive educational experience to guide those students to professional and personal success.

U.S. News & World Report’s new rankings, released Tuesday, showed several UConn graduate programs earning high marks across its campuses, including some that entered the rankings for the first time with impressive debuts.

“The breadth and depth of UConn’s graduate and professional programs reflect a very intentional and thoughtful approach to providing academic, research, and service opportunities that will set up our students for success in their chosen fields,” says Leslie Shor, dean of The Graduate School and UConn vice provost for graduate education.

“The impressive standings of our programs are tied directly to the talented graduate and professional-level students who enroll here, along with the faculty and staff who work to ensure they receive the full benefit of UConn’s life-transformative offerings, and the State of Connecticut for its continuing investments in its flagship institution,” she adds.

In a separate but related rankings released in January, several of UConn’s fully online graduate programs also received stellar rankings from U.S. News, with programs in the Elisabeth DeLuca School of Nursing and the School of Business ranking especially high.

Those rankings are among a slew of prestigious external assessments in recent years in which UConn has been lauded for its academic enterprise, research impact, global engagement, and return on investment.

The UConn Graduate School awards doctoral degrees in 78 fields of study, master’s degrees in 109 fields, and six professional degree fields – all of which foster academic and research excellence, interdisciplinary connections, and real-world service and impact.

All told, more than 8,200 students are enrolled in UConn’s graduate and professional programs across its campuses, including more about 1,000 based at UConn Health in medical, dental medicine, and other programs.

The UConn School of Medicine continues to be among the best in the nation in the new U.S. News rankings, holding steady in the second tier of its four-tier assessment system.

In the best research category, UConn is listed among 34 medical schools in Tier 2 for research, 27 of which are also public medical schools. Only seven other public medical schools were higher than UConn with Tier 1 rankings.

Similarly, in the primary care category, UConn was ranked in Tier 2 with 35 medical schools, including 24 public institutions; only 10 public medical schools were higher than UConn in Tier 1.

“UConn’s medical school is proud of its steadfast excellence in educating and training the next generation of doctors, specialists, and surgeons and being an engine for research and scientific training. This is why we remain the No. 1 producer of Connecticut’s health care workforce,” says Dr. Bruce T. Liang, dean of UConn School of Medicine.

Although UConn does not consider external rankings to be the sole arbiter of its programs’ quality, they provide valuable assessments of an institution’s commitment to student success, research excellence, and national and global presence.

High rankings also boost visibility and reputation, helping universities foster strategic relationships that can affect recruitment and funding opportunities.

The Neag School of Education made a particularly strong showing in the U.S. News rankings released Tuesday, and each of its three ranked specializations increased over last year’s spots to place in the top 25 nationwide.

The Neag School was ranked at No. 35 (tie) overall among all U.S. education schools – an increase of two spots over last year – and tied for No. 26 among public institutions.

Its programs in special education and educational administration went up by two and three spots to No. 16 and No. 25, respectively, and its program in curriculum and instruction saw a 10-spot jump to reach No. 24.

“To see all three of our nationally ranked graduate programs rise this year, while sustaining more than a decade as one of the nation’s top public graduate schools of education, speaks to the steadfast dedication of our faculty, staff, and students,” Neag School Dean Jason G. Irizarry says.

“These rankings reflect the extraordinary strength of the Neag School of Education and our commitment to advancing educational excellence and equity as a national leader in higher education,” he adds.

UConn’s School of Law had strong showings, ranked at No. 58 nationally with its full-time program being assessed as No. 30 among public law schools. Of special note, the Law School’s part-time program was ranked No. 11 nationwide.

“The success of our full time and part time programs reflects UConn Law’s steadfast commitment to excellence, accessibility, and impact,” Dean Eboni S. Nelson says. “We’re very proud that the outstanding education and support our students receive from dedicated staff, faculty, and alumni prepare them to lead, serve, and make meaningful contributions to the legal profession and their communities in pursuit of justice.”

The Law School increased its ranking this year in clinical training programs (51), tax programs (54), health care law programs (55), and business/corporate law programs (55), among other programs.

At the School of Business, its Flex MBA program ranked No. 35 in the nation, up from 57th place five years ago and 75th place 10 years ago. Over the past year, the MBA program added an accelerated One-Year MBA option and an MBA summer bridge program, increasing access while maintaining academic rigor.

“The MBA market is very competitive, and we’ve worked hard to pair the best of a traditional business education with new, relevant, and current course topics. It is a constant cycle of re-examining and updating programs,” says Mia Hawlk, the program’s executive director.
“Reimagining the traditional MBA while maintaining its quality has become the foundation of UConn’s program,” she says.

At the UConn College of Engineering, its rank at No. 58 reflects the University’s continued momentum in research, education, and innovation, its leaders say.

UConn’s engineering graduate programs are approaching the top 30 among public universities (No. 31) after climbing 13 spots since 2015, reflecting sustained growth and impact across disciplines.

“Our continued rise in the rankings reflects the strength of our faculty, the talent of our students, and the real-world impact of our research,” says JC Zhao, the college’s dean. “We are preparing engineers to lead with purpose and drive meaningful innovation.”

As a leading hub for engineering in Connecticut and beyond, the college offers doctoral and Master of Science degrees within a top-tier R1 research environment, where students gain hands-on experience tackling complex global challenges.

“We’re proud to see the UConn College of Engineering ranked among the top 60 graduate engineering programs in the country,” adds Director of Graduate Studies Ioulia Valla. “As we continue to strengthen our programs and partnerships, we’re focused on building even greater impact in the years ahead.”

Elsewhere in UConn, two programs made the top 50 in their debut year in the U.S. News rankings: pharmacy at No. 27 and statistics at No. 33, the latter of which is housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS).

The college’s School of Public Policy ranked No. 44 nationally among public affairs programs. It also placed No. 12 in public budgeting and finance and No. 24 in nonprofit management, a category in which it was ranked for the first time this year.

“We’re proud to be among the nation’s top public affairs programs,” says Angie Eikenberry, director of the School of Public Policy. “Our graduates enter the workforce prepared to lead in government and nonprofit organizations, with strong placement rates and a growing alumni network making an impact across Connecticut and beyond.”

Also housed in CLAS, the Doctorate of Audiology program in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences continued its strong showing at No. 18 in this year’s rankings. The department’s master’s in Speech-Language Pathology program also was well-ranked at No. 33.

“These rankings reflect the strength of the modern liberal arts and sciences education we offer at UConn,” says Ofer Harel, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “Our programs prepare students to meet Connecticut’s workforce needs, from public policy and nonprofit management to health care, data science, and artificial intelligence.”

The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences programs ranking at No. 27 comes as the school is entering its second century, with its roots dating back to 1925.

It houses robust programs in pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology, outcomes research, regulatory science, and related disciplines, along with the professional Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program.

“We are proud to see the UConn School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences recognized in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings,” says Dean Philip Hritcko. “This achievement reflects the adaptability, resilience, and dedication of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni as we continue to evolve our professional program in response to the changing needs of health care.

“Achieving this milestone during our centennial year makes this recognition especially meaningful and affirms the enduring strength and excellence of our program,” he says.

In addition to ranking highly among programs nationwide, the school also enjoys strong affection and support from its alumni, faculty, and staff.

Last year, Dean Hritcko and his wife, Lorraine, pledged a $5 million planned gift, one of the largest in the school’s existence, to support scholarships and other programs. And earlier this year, pharmaceutical leader and philanthropist Jane Hirsh ’65 (PHARM) made a $250,000 gift to the school to seed non-animal research in drug discovery and development, including organ-on-a-chip innovations.

Both gifts advance the historic $1.5 billion Because of UConn campaign, bringing the campaign closer to its goals to ease students’ financial burdens and boost academic research.