The University of Maryland College of Education placed highly among its peers in the U.S. News & World Report 2021 rankings, rising significantly as a college and in five of its nine top-ranked graduate programs.

Notably, the UMD College of Education advanced six spots to place 27th amongst all graduate schools/colleges of education nationwide, and is listed 17th among public institutions. The College’s counseling and personnel services graduate program--a joint program with the Department of Psychology--is rated first in the country, a spot it has held for 20 of the last 21 years.

Three UMD College of Education programs—counseling psychology, educational psychology, and higher education—are ranked in the top 10 in the nation.

“Our programs bring together world-class faculty and students, and provide research opportunities that lead and shape the field of education and human development,” Dean Jennifer King Rice said. “The College’s rise in the rankings reflects our commitment to excellent academic programs that develop the next generation’s leaders and prepare them to meet the needs of a changing society.”

The evaluation, which was released by US News & World Report on March 17, 2020, assessed more than 250 graduate schools in education across the United States.

UMD College of Education 2021 USNWR Graduate Program Rankings

• UMD College of Education – #27 nationwide; #17 among public institutions
• Counseling and Personnel Services – #1
• Educational Psychology – #5
• Higher Education – #10
• Special Education – #14
• Secondary Education – #16
• Education Policy – #17
• Curriculum – #19
• Elementary Education - #19
• Educational Administration – #25 

U.S. News & World Report determines its rankings using a number of factors, which include peer assessment, educational professionals’ assessment, student selectivity, faculty resources, and research activity.