Howard University Graduate Programs Rise on U.S. News and World Report’s List of 2022 Best Graduate Schools

Howard University’s graduate programs in nursing, business, law and education each received significant increases in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 “Best Graduate Schools” listing.  The School of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences is ranked No. 46 for its nursing master’s program and No. 79 for occupational therapy, the School of Business is ranked No. 64 for its full-time MBA program, the School of Law is ranked No. 91 and the School of Education is ranked No. 91. Under the academic disciplines for social sciences and humanities, the Graduate School was recognized with a specialty rank of No. 3 in African-American history and an overall rank of No. 48 in history; it also received a specialty rank of No. 7 in African-American literature and an overall rank of No. 62 in English. In the medical school rankings, the College of Medicine ranked No. 1 for Most Diverse Medical School, No. 34 for graduates who serve in medically needy areas and No. 47 for Graduates Practicing in Primary Care Specialties.

“This is an incredible accomplishment for our faculty and staff who work tirelessly to help train the nation’s best and brightest students,” says President Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA. “By climbing the U.S. News and World Report’s graduate school rankings, we are demonstrating that our strategic plan to enhance academic knowledge is working. The credit goes to our faculty and administrators who live out our mission of truth and service every day. Our graduate students come to Howard to learn and hone their skills, but they leave here with a renewed vision of their purpose, and it’s great to have that work acknowledged by our peers.”

The College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences soared on to the list this year with a ranking of No. 46 for its master’s in nursing program and No. 79 in occupational therapy. The college is comprised of top-ranked educational programs that prepare health care professionals to be leaders and innovators in practice, education, research and service. Graduates are prepared to deliver patient-centered, interprofessional care and utilize cutting-edge technology and evidence-based practice to improve the health of all people with an emphasis on promoting health equity toward eliminating health disparities.

“Howard University’s College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences’ graduate nursing faculty and college leadership have worked extremely hard to demonstrate the excellence that we knew was embedded in the program,” says Dean Gina S. Brown, Ph.D., MSA, RN. “Due to our small size, many were not aware of the success and the ability of the program to achieve greatness. However, we realize that ‘only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible.’ We celebrate our hard-working faculty who made this achievement possible. We can’t wait to see what the next year holds for this and all of our outstanding nursing and health sciences programs.”

Among the list’s top full-time MBA programs, the Howard University School of Business rose to No. 64, elevating six spots from last year. The School of Business and its award-winning programs were the first business school in Washington, D.C to receive accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The MBA program was recently ranked No. 45 on Bloomberg Businessweek’s 2021 Global Business School list.

“The School of Business is very happy with our upswing in the U.S. News graduate rankings this year to No. 64. It reflects the hard work of our faculty and staff and recognizes that Howard produces students who are making a significant impact on the global business world,” says Dean Anthony D. Wilbon, Ph.D., PMP. “It is a wonderful acknowledgment, and we will continue to strive for excellence through enhanced programming, curriculum and research.”

The Howard University School of Law (HUSL) jumped 16 spots to rank No. 91 on the U.S. News & World Report list. It is the school’s first time breaking the top 100. HUSL has been educating legal scholars for 150 years and boasts such notable alumni as former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, legal trailblazer Pauli Murray, and former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. School of Law Dean Danielle Holley-Walker recalls how the law school ranked No. 135 when she arrived and how she and President Frederick discussed establishing the goal to ascend into the top 100.

“It is gratifying to see the hard work of our faculty, staff and students recognized through our steady rise in the U.S. News rankings. While we know that rankings do not define the excellence of our law school, it is wonderful to see our gains in admissions, bar passage and career placement recognized through the rankings. It is an especially important signal for the entire legal profession to see Howard Law’s ranking rise while we are also ranked the #1 law school in the country in the U.S. News diversity ranking,” says Dean Holley-Walker.

The graduate program of Howard University School of Education (HUSOE) broke the top 100 for a second time with a rank of No. 91, up 22 places from last year’s ratings. This is the program’s highest rank to date. HUSOE is a Council for the Accreditation of Educational Preparation-accredited provider, which features the opportunity to travel abroad for global education experiences, engagement with the Urban Superintendent Academy, and a Ph.D. program in higher education leadership and policy studies.

“The unique challenges that we have faced teaching and learning in virtual environments have required innovative approaches to prepare our students for a rapidly changing world,” says School of Education Dean Dawn Williams, Ph.D. “It is our expectation that our graduates will succeed and remain steadfast in addressing social justice issues related to equity, access and opportunity across our academic disciplines. The elevated ranking has helped to highlight and affirm our ability to deliver academic programs that produce graduates that are able to bridge theory into successful practice. The School of Education faculty and staff are to be commended for maintaining high standards and balancing the needs of our students during these unprecedented times.”

Under the academic disciplines for Best Social Sciences and Humanities Schools rankings, the Graduate School at Howard University was recognized with a specialty rank of No. 3 in African-American history an overall rank of No. 48 in history as well as a specialty rank of No. 7 in African-American literature and an overall rank of No. 62 in English. Howard University was established in 1867 – the same year that the University offered its first master’s degree. In 1934, the Graduate School was formally established; and in 1976, the school was reorganized into its current structure with divisions in the arts and humanities, biological and life sciences, engineering and physical sciences, and social sciences. The school awarded its first doctorate degree in 1958 in the field of chemistry. Today, the school offers 28 master’s and 27 doctoral programs

“We are enthusiastic about our continued rise in the rankings for our doctoral programs in history and English,” says Interim Graduate Dean Dana A. Williams, Ph.D. “We are consistently the leading producer of African-American doctoral recipients who earn a Ph.D. from an on-campus university. The quality of the programs that train our graduates is unparalleled. The national recognition of these programs will undoubtedly attract more students to the Graduate School, and we will continue to build a community of scholars dedicated to finding solutions to problems of the human condition.”

The Howard University College of Medicine (COM) ranked No. 1 for Most Diverse Medical School, No. 40 for graduates who serve in medically needy areas, and No. 47 for Graduates Practicing in Primary Care Specialties. The College of Medicine has been on the frontlines during the coronavirus pandemic through support of the patient care at Howard University Hospital and the on-site vaccine clinic, which provides vaccination shots to the community. COM provides students of high academic potential with a medical education of exceptional quality and prepares physicians and other health care professionals to serve the underserved. Particular focus is on the education of disadvantaged students for careers in medicine. Emphasis is placed on developing skills and habits of life-long learning and producing world leaders in medicine.

There is an urgent need for more Black doctors in this country in order to meet the demands of our aging population. Therefore, it’s exciting to see that our mission to train a diverse group of physicians to serve the most disadvantaged populations is being recognized by our peers through rankings like US News and World Report,” says College of Medicine Dean Hugh E. Mighty, M.D., MBA. “The on-going pandemic has only magnified the significant role diverse doctors play in addressing health disparities in minority communities. We look forward to continuing this work to create a talented pool of healthcare professionals who are committed to truth and service.”

In September 2020, Howard University reached a personal best, soaring to No. 80 on the U.S. News & World Report list of the best national universities, as evaluated on 17 measures, including first-year student retention, graduation rates, strength of the faculty and alumni giving. The University was ranked No. 145 in 2014 and has elevated 65 positions to achieve the No. 80 rank. Howard is also currently ranked No. 31 for undergraduate teaching, No. 50 best college for veterans, No. 58 most innovative schools and No. 3 among private institutions for social mobility (No. 11 overall).