‘U.S. News’ graduate school rankings: Here is how Vanderbilt graduate and professional programs placed

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University graduate and professional programs’ placements in the 2023–24 U.S. News & World Report Graduate School rankings have been released.   

The Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development ranked sixth in the nation. Peabody College has placed in the top 10 for more than two decades. The Vanderbilt School of Nursing master’s program rose to sixth and its doctor of nursing practice program ranked 13th. 

Four of Vanderbilt’s graduate and professional schools are in the top 20 of the U.S. News rankings. 

Within those schools, four Vanderbilt graduate school programs were ranked No. 1 in the nation: Peabody’s educational administration and supervision program and special education program maintained their first-place rankings. The School of Nursing’s administration doctoral program rose to the No. 1 spot. The pediatric primary care master’s program also placed first. 

This year, U.S. News updated its ranking methodology for law schools. The changes are intended to reflect an increased focus on the student experience, career opportunities and tangible outcomes that a law school education can offer. They include increases in the weight of the bar passage rate and weight of employment 10 months after graduation. Vanderbilt Law School rose a spot to place 16th. 

Medical school rankings also underwent a methodology change. Changes include the addition of NIH grant awards as a measure of research quality and a reduction in the weight of MCAT and GPA scores. The School of Medicine was ranked fifth in the nation in the School of Medicine – Research category, its highest ranking ever and its first ranking within the top 10. 

Graduate programs in social sciences, natural sciences and the humanities are only evaluated and ranked every five years and may not be reflected below.

Here’s how Vanderbilt’s graduate programs placed in the rankings: 

Peabody College ranked No. 6 

  • Student Counseling: 10th 
  • Curriculum and Instruction: 3rd 
  • Secondary Teacher Education: 7th 
  • Higher Education Administration: 7th 
  • Educational Administration and Supervision: 1st 
  • Special Education: 1st 
  • Education Policy: 2nd 
  • Education Psychology: 4th 
  • Elementary Education: 5th 

School of Nursing Master’s Program ranked No. 6 

  • Family MSN: 2nd 
  • Mental Health MSN: 2nd 
  • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care MSN: 2nd 
  • Adult-Gerontology Primary Care MSN: 3rd 
  • Pediatric Primary Care MSN: 1st 

School of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice Program ranked No. 13 

  • Administration DNP: 1st 
  • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care DNP: 2nd 
  • Leadership DNP: 6th 

Law ranked No. 16 

  • Intellectual Property Law: 28th 
  • Criminal Law: 7th 
  • Contracts-Commercial Law: 13th 
  • Business/Corporate Law: 12th 
  • Environmental Law: 7th 
  • Constitutional Law: 17th 
  • International Law: 18th 
  • Dispute Resolution: 34th 
  • Clinical Training: 45th 
  • Health Care Law: 46th 
  • Tax Law: 62nd 
  • Trial Advocacy: 96th 

School of Medicine: Research ranked No. 5 

  • Surgery: 12th  
  • Pediatrics: 14th 
  • Anesthesiology: 12th 
  • Internal Medicine: 11th 
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology: 14th 
  • Public Health: 36th 

Owen Graduate School of Management ranked No. 27 

Engineering ranked No. 42 

  • Electrical Engineering: 41st 
  • Computer Science: 50th 
  • Biomedical Engineering: 14th 
  • Materials Engineering: 57th 
  • Chemical Engineering: 34th 
  • Environmental Engineering: 47th 
  • Civil Engineering: 47th 
  • Mechanical Engineering: 46th 

Arts & Science  

  • Earth Sciences: 54th 
  • Physics: 38th 
  • Math: 43rd 
  • Chemistry: 46th