For the third year in a row, U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Maryland College of Education as one of the top 25 graduate schools of education in the nation, in its annual Best Graduate Schools rankings, released today.
This year, the college maintained its positions as No. 24 among all graduate education schools nationwide, No. 15 among public graduate education schools across the country, and No. 1 among public graduate education schools in Maryland.
“I am always so proud of our college and how students, faculty and staff come together to do impactful work,” said Dean Kimberly Griffin. “The excellence of our programs is widely recognized, and these rankings are a reflection of EdTerps’ collective commitments to advancing bold and innovative research, cultivating a caring and passionate community, and preparing future leaders and practitioners to transform education for good and build a better society.”
In addition, seven of the college’s specialty programs placed in the top 25 in the nation, with three ranked in the top 10. The counseling psychology program (a joint program between the College of Education and the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences’ Department of Psychology) was the No. 1 rated program of its kind.
Top 10 Programs
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services: No. 1 nationwide, No. 1 public
- Educational Psychology: No. 7 nationwide, No. 5 public
- Higher Education Administration: No. 10 nationwide, No. 8 public
Top 25 Programs
- Secondary Teacher Education: No. 15 nationwide, No. 12 public
- Elementary Teacher Education: No. 17 nationwide, No. 14 public
- Education Policy: No. 20 nationwide, No. 14 public
- Curriculum and Instruction: No. 22 nationwide, No. 16 public
Each year, U.S. News ranks graduate schools and programs in education, business, law, engineering, medicine and nursing. U.S. News rankings are based on statistical surveys and peer assessment surveys, conducted in fall 2025 and early 2026.
U.S. News evaluated more than 250 education schools this year using measures including research activity, student-faculty ratio, graduate degrees granted, faculty awards, academic excellence of entering students, and opinions on program quality from education school deans and school hiring professionals.
Learn more about this year’s U.S. News rankings across UMD in this article in Maryland Today.
