Coming Soon: 2018 Best Graduate Schools Rankings
U.S. News will unveil the 2018 Best Graduate Schools rankings -- including for business, law, education, engineering, medical and nursing programs -- on usnews.com on March 14.
Detailed statistical data collected about each program in these six largest graduate disciplines will be displayed on usnews.com, and the "Best Graduate Schools 2018" print guidebook will be for sale at newsstands on April 11.
The subscription-based U.S. News Graduate School Compass will offer complete school data as well as the full versions of specialty rankings -- such as executive MBA, tax law, civil engineering and nursing administration.
This year, U.S. News will also publish fresh rankings of master's degree programs in library and information studies and related specialty areas, and doctoral programs in the social sciences and humanities, specifically in economics, English, history, political science, psychology and sociology. These rankings -- based solely on academic experts' ratings -- were last updated in 2013.
Rankings of doctoral programs in the sciences, master's programs in public affairs and fine arts and graduate programs in health-related fields will remain available on usnews.com. These rankings are based on earlier published surveys and are labeled with the year the rankings were originally published.
On March 14, U.S. News will also release explanations of the full Best Graduate Schools ranking methodologies and data used to create all the rankings. Prospective graduate students can use the statistical data that schools report to U.S. News to compare factors such as acceptance rates; scores on the GRE, LSAT, MCAT and GMAT; student-faculty ratios; and job placement success upon graduation.
Other factors to consider include a school's course offerings and department culture, the total cost to obtain the degree, the advising or mentoring a student can expect to receive and the school's location and campus life. U.S. News encourages students to use the rankings as a tool to help carefully select the right program, not as the sole factor driving their final choice.
Robert Morse is chief data strategist at U.S. News, where he develops the methodologies and surveys for annual education rankings, including Best Colleges and Best Graduate Schools.
