UB grad programs rise in U.S. News rankings

More than a dozen professional schools and programs at UB rose in the latest rankings of America’s Best Graduate Schools released today by U.S. News & World Report.

Among them was UB’s School of Public Health and Health Professions, which climbed 10 spots in the rankings for 2023 to No. 31. Among public universities included in the U.S. News rankings, UB is No. 19 in public health.

“The School of Public Health and Health Professions is pleased to be ranked so highly among the nation’s best graduate programs in public health,” said the school’s dean, Jean Wactawski-Wende. “This is a testament to the quality of our programs and the caliber of our faculty and students.”

UB’s School of Social Work ranked No. 21 in the nation, up four spots from its previous ranking. Among public universities in the rankings, UB is No. 10 in social work.

"We are incredibly pleased our school rose to the prominent ranking of 21 among schools of social work in the U.S. Our deep commitment to students, research, community partners, and alumni is a major part of our school’s success. We embrace an inclusive mindset which is reflected in all we do," said Keith A. Alford, dean of the School of Social Work. 

UB’s Graduate School of Education climbed to No. 53, up six spots from last year, and up 35 spots in the past four years. Among public universities in the rankings, UB is No. 42 in education.

“The Graduate School of Education continues its upward trajectory,” says Dean Suzanne Rosenblith. “This newest ranking reflects that GSE is on a strong path of excellence in teaching, research and community outreach that is grounded in equity and inclusion.”

UB’s full time MBA program, offered in the School of Management, came in at No. 72, up five spots from last year. It is among the top 10% of business schools accredited by AACSB International. Among public universities, UB’s MBA program is ranked No. 38.

“Our focus on creating outstanding learning experiences and providing quality career development while recruiting high-caliber students and top faculty is gaining recognition,” says Paul Tesluk, dean of the School of Management. “It’s gratifying to see our success reflected in the upward trajectory of these rankings and in our global reputation.”

U.S. News & World Report each year ranks graduate school programs in business, education, engineering, law, medicine and nursing, as well as specialties within each.

The data for the rankings came from statistical surveys of more than 2,150 programs and from reputation surveys sent to more than 23,200 academics and professionals, conducted in fall 2021 and early 2022.

Other UB programs highlighted in the rankings include:

• The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, which ranked No. 62 among all universities and No. 35 among public universities.

Computer engineering went up 16 spots to No. 50. Aerospace engineering rose three spots to No. 35; civil engineering, up two spots to No. 35; electrical engineering, up three spots to No. 63; environmental engineering, up four spots to No. 55; and materials engineering, up four to No. 60. Other engineering programs ranked include industrial (24), chemical (43), mechanical (50), computer science (63) and biomedical (66).

• The School of Law, which remains among the top 100 in the nation. The law school rose four spots from last year to No. 94. Among public universities included in the U.S. News rankings, UB is No. 52 in law.
• The School of Nursing’s doctoral program ranked No. 52 in the country. Among public universities in the rankings, UB is No. 39 in doctoral nursing programs.
• The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The medical school rose one spot to No. 90 among primary care programs and No. 74, up seven places, in medical research. Among public universities in the rankings, UB is No. 57 in primary care programs and No. 41 in medical research.

Among medical schools, U.S. News also measures diversity, as well the percentage of graduates practicing in primary care, rural areas and medically underserved areas.

The Jacobs School ranks No. 45 on the diversity index, up seven spots from last year, and No. 58 for percentage of graduates practicing direct patient care in rural areas — up 37 spots. It ranks No. 103 in percentage of graduates practicing direct patient care in health professional shortage areas. That’s up six spots from last year.

Others ranked include legal writing (62), biology (119), biostatistics (44), chemistry (81), economics (88), geology (100), mathematics (110), physics (77) and psychology (68).

While not all graduate programs in the humanities, social sciences, sciences and health sciences were considered by U.S. News this year, several UB programs are ranked among the best in the nation.

The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is No. 14 among more than 140 schools of pharmacy nationwide. Among public universities, UB is also ranked No. 14 in pharmacy schools.

Other UB graduate programs ranked in previous years include library and information studies (23), English (46), sociology (64), history (81), nursing anesthesia (10), audiology (20), speech-language pathology (38), occupational therapy (29), clinical psychology (50), political science (81), fine arts (73), psychology (75), physical therapy (57) and earth sciences (90).

The rankings of America’s Best Graduate Schools are based on expert opinions about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students.