School of Education remains among nation's best in rankings
National ranking by K-12 superintendents tied for sixth place
The William and Mary School of Education remained among the nation's best according to U.S. News & World Report in its annual ranking of graduate and professional schools. This year's ranking of 43rd -- tied with the University of California-Irvine and Washington University-St. Louis -- followed a ranking of 41st last year and a ranking of 39th in 2010 when the school moved up nine spots from 48th in the 2009 survey. William and Mary remains one of the smallest schools of education consistently in the top 50. Dean Virginia McLaughlin pointed out that the methodology used to rate schools of education creates a certain amount of movement within the ranks from year to year. For example, she noted the emphasis on funded research dollars, a figure that can fluctuate quite dramatically with major grants.
The survey components of the ranking system tend to be more stable. "Our reputational rankings by higher education peers and K-12 superintendents have remained incredibly strong," Dean McLaughlin said. "In the random survey of superintendents nationally, our W&M School of Education is tied for 6th place."
"The consistently strong showing of the School of Education in these national rankings is a real tribute to the quality of our faculty, students, and programs," she concluded.
U.S. News & World Report annually ranks graduate and professional school programs in education, law, medicine, engineering and business using a variety of scoring categories, such as peer assessments, student/faculty ratios and funding for faculty research. Highlights of the graduate school rankings are scheduled for publication in the 2013 version of the Best Graduate Schools book that is available for purchase as of April 5. A complete list of the top rankings is available online.
