UC Davis excels in the new U.S. News & World Report's 2022 Best Graduate School Rankings, with graduate and professional programs in the College of Letters and Science, the College of Engineering, the School of Nursing, and others earning prestigious rankings.

U.S. News ranks some disciplines annually and others periodically. Released today (March 30), the 2022 list includes new rankings for business, law, education, engineering, medicine, nursing, and the humanities. Each set of rankings is based on different data types: expert opinions relating to a program's academic excellence and statistical indicators that assess students and faculty achievements.

UC Davis' history and economics graduate programs in the College of Letters and Science earned the 24th position nationally, with international economics at 14th. The political science program and English program garnered the 25th and 26th spots, respectively.

The College of Engineering scored a tie at 33rd nationally, while its biological (3rd), civil engineering (11th), and environmental (14th) engineering graduate programs were ranked among the best in the country.

Several professional degree programs at UC Davis also shone in this year's list. Programs in both the School of Law and the School of Education secured top 40 rankings. In the Best Education Schools category, the School of Education earned the 37th spot, up two from last year’s placement.

The School of Medicine also demonstrated strength in primary care (11th) and family medicine (9th). UC Davis also earned a top-25 ranking for its Ph.D. in Public Health Sciences program.

The master's degree programs in the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing received high honors, earning the 24th spot in the "Best Nursing Master's Programs" category. UC Davis has been climbing in this ranking steadily over the past five years, but this year marks the first time that UC Davis nursing programs have broken into the top 25.

The complete Best Graduate Schools rankings are available on the U.S. News and World Report website.

About Graduate Studies

Graduate Studies at UC Davis includes over 100 dynamic degree programs and a diverse and interactive student body from around the world. Known for our state-of-the-art research facilities, productive laboratories and progressive spirit – UC Davis offers collaborative and interdisciplinary curricula through graduate groups and designated emphasis options, bringing students and faculty of different academic disciplines together to address real-world challenges.

UC Davis graduate students and postdoctoral scholars become leaders in their fields: researchers, teachers, politicians, mentors and entrepreneurs. They go on to guide, define and impact change within our global community.

For information on Graduate Studies’ current strategic initiatives, visit the Graduate Studies strategic plan page.