By Matthew Winston
Graduate programs in UGA’s College of Education, School of Law and department of mathematics are among those ranked in U.S. News and World Report’s annual guide,  “America’s Best Graduate Schools.”
The College of Education ranked 18th among 188 graduate education programs--one position higher than last year. Only two other institutions in the Southeast ranked in the top 20: Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia.
The criteria used to rank graduate education programs included academic reputation among peer institutions, student selectivity (as determined by GRE scores and incoming student grade point averages), faculty resources and faculty research activity (as determined by research expenditures).
The magazine also asked education college deans to identify the 10 best graduate programs in a few specialty areas. Several UGA education programs were ranked in the top 10 nationwide.
The vocational/technical program ranked third, tied with Penn State and the University of Minnesota. The elementary teacher and secondary teacher programs at UGA ranked sixth and fifth, respectively. UGA’s counseling/personnel services program ranked seventh, just ahead of the University of Virginia. UGA is the only institution in the state of Georgia to appear in these top-10 listings.
“I am pleased that the College of Education is again ranked as a top tier graduate program and that four of our programs are listed in the top 10,” says Russell Yeany, dean of the College of Education. “This recognition should be attributed to the quality of our faculty. We are a college committed to excellence. It is rewarding that our achievement of excellence is recognized across the nation.”
In rankings of doctoral programs in the sciences, the number-theory program in UGA’s mathematics department ranked 10th in the nation, tied with Brown University. Science rankings were based on a survey sent to academics in each discipline.
UGA’s School of Law ranked in the top 20 percent in the survey of 175 of the nation’s accredited graduate schools and is among the top five public institutions in the Southeast. The law school ranked 36th overall, tied with Indiana University--Bloomington, the University of Arizona and the University of Utah. U.S. News based its law school rankings on four criteria: reputation among lawyers, judges, and faculty at peer institutions; student selectivity; students’ employment success after graduation; and faculty resources.
“While we’re pleased that the University of Georgia is consistently recognized as one of the best law schools in the nation, I reiterate the law school’s long-held position that any ranking system is inherently flawed and cannot possibly consider all factors relevant to the quality of a student’s experience,” says David Shipley, law school dean. “We don’t need rankings to reinforce what we already know: the University of Georgia School of Law has a superior faculty comprised of outstanding teachers and scholars and great students who are excited to be studying in Athens.”
The law school earned high marks in objective measurements such as placement (92 percent), bar passage (91.1 percent) and student selectivity. In several instances, these scores were better than those of schools which ranked higher in the overall survey.
“I am very pleased to see that the University of Georgia continues to receive attention and recognition from U.S. News and other publications,” says Michael F. Adams, president of the University of Georgia. “These periodic assessments are helpful in devising ongoing efforts to strengthen and enhance the levels of academic excellence which are in place at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.”
The issue of U.S. News and World Report magazine in which these rankings appear is now available on newsstands. The guidebook for 2000, called America’s Best Graduate Schools, will be on sale April 6.
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