Grad schools get top rankings in magazine survey

Punahou School '94 Honolulu, Hawaii Five of the University's graduate schools received top-tier rankings in the U.S. News & World Report annual survey published in March. Jumping up from its fourth place ranking last year, the Wharton Schools' graduate division came in a close second to Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School with a 99.8 percent ranking, compared to Sloan's 100 percent. The Nursing School dropped from its first-place slot last year to third place. The Medical School maintained its position at seventh place and the Law School tied with Northwestern University at 11th place. "We care about being viewed in the top tier," University President Judith Rodin said. "That's the important part of it -- we do want to be viewed as a top-ranked institution." The rankings are based on student selectivity, placement success, faculty resources, research activity and institutional reputation. However, criteria do vary for each area of graduate education. The schools do not take the rankings as seriously as prospective students do, Rodin said. Law School Dean Colin Diver attributed the Law School's high ranking in the survey to the significant increase in the number of applicants that matriculated last year. This was the first year U.S. News & World Report study that surveyed graduate schools of education, and the University's Graduate School of Education tied for 10th with the education school at the University of California at Los Angeles. Several concentrated programs received national recognition including the Medical School's programs in women's health and pediatrics, which placed in the top three. "That we are consistently ranked in the top 10 in this nationwide survey attests to our enduring commitment to excellence," Medical School Dean William Kelley said.

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