William & Mary School of Education advances to top 50 in national rankings
In the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings of best graduate schools released in April, the William & Mary School of Education advanced to the top 50 in the nation, jumping nearly 10 spots from the previous year to 49th. Earlier this year, U.S. News also ranked the school 33rd for best online master’s in education programs for veterans.
The School of Education joins the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William & Mary, the W&M Law School and several programs in the College of Arts & Sciences in earning recognition for academic distinction, reflecting a shared commitment to the university’s vision and values.
“As William & Mary rises in national prominence, the School of Education plays a vital role — shaping the future of education through inquiry, creativity and purpose. Our faculty and students are driving innovation through impactful scholarship, community partnerships and a deep commitment to providing equitable access to education,” said W&M School of Education Dean Robert C. Knoeppel. “This ranking is a clear testament to the success of our faculty in delivering programs that serve the Commonwealth and producing research and scholarship of consequence that improves outcomes for children, families and communities.”
Responding to critical needs and conducting research that creates a measurable impact are pillars of the School of Education’s commitment to William & Mary’s Vision 2026 strategic plan.
In 2024, the School of Education’s research expenditures reached $13.9 million — a 19% increase from the previous year and more than double the total in 2022. The School of Education’s contribution to the university’s overall research profile has helped elevate William & Mary to Carnegie Research 1 (R1) status in 2025, a designation reserved for institutions with the highest level of research activity.
“For the past four years, the School of Education has invested in innovative, community-based research projects, funding a variety of faculty initiatives through its SEED grant and Dean’s Innovation Fund competitions,” said Professor and Associate Dean for Research & Faculty Development Elizabeth Talbott. “These investments have contributed to the continued success of our faculty in securing external grants for research.”
Transformative Faculty Research
One of the most notable new grants in 2024 was a $3.5 million Transformative Research Grant (TRG) from the Spencer Foundation. This prestigious award supports a multidisciplinary team conducting a large-scale study on community-driven initiatives to teach Asian American Studies in K-12 classrooms. Assistant Professor Esther June Kim joins principal investigator (PI) Noreen Naseem Rodríguez, at Michigan State University, and three other co-PIs across the country on this five-year project.
Additional faculty-led research includes Associate Professor Meredith Kier’s work on two National Science Foundation-funded projects. In 2024, she was awarded a $1.2 million grant as PI to continue the W&M Noyce Scholars Program through 2029. She is also senior personnel on a second collaborative research project awarded to William & Mary and George Mason University. Led by Assistant Professor Janice Zhang in the Department of Computer Science, the project brings together researchers from both universities to explore how middle school students develop mathematical thinking.
Also launched in 2024 and scheduled to return this year is The Optimist Project (TOP), an initiative sponsored by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and developed and administered by the W&M School of Education’s Center for Gifted Education. TOP introduces participants in the Cooke Foundation’s Young Scholars Program to critical thinking, leadership and civil discourse through immersion in history.
In addition, Assistant Professor Ray Mitic was awarded a grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation to study the impact of liberal arts education on engaged democratic citizenship.
Expanding Impact Through Centers
The School of Education’s research growth continues to be driven by several multimillion-dollar Department of Education grants to two centers: Project HOPE – Virginia and the Training and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC).
Project HOPE-VA administers the statewide program for the education of homeless youth using a budget of approximately $2 million annually. These funds support a network of school divisions, as well as McKinney-Vento liaisons in every school division in the state, with the aim of identifying students experiencing homelessness. The center launched a new public-facing website in 2024 with updated publications, awareness materials, podcasts and news stories around liaisons’ success stories. A new video library offers information tailored to different audiences. According to Patricia Popp Ph.D. ’01, the state coordinator for Project HOPE-Virginia, these efforts have broadened public engagement and simplified access to support services.
T/TAC, directed by Debbie Grosser M.Ed. ’00, Ed.D. ’17, serves as a regional hub for professional development and support services for educators working with students with disabilities. In 2024, T/TAC staff delivered 57 workshops and 1,510 customized services — including one-on-one coaching and team consultations — in 130 schools across 52 school divisions. With a continuing shortage of fully licensed special education teachers, T/TAC’s services are more essential than ever.
A key focus in 2024 has been literacy training tied to implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act, based on an increasing number of requests from the field.
Leadership, Enrollment and Doctoral Degrees
The School of Education continues to play a central role in shaping educational leadership at the state and national levels. Enrollment in the School of Education’s online counseling program has tripled over the past five years, with the program earning national recognition for excellence in mental health counseling education.
Likewise, enrollment in the School of Education’s five graduate certificate programs has grown dramatically, from 13 students in 2022 to 62 in 2024. These flexible, targeted programs meet the evolving needs of both students and educators and help professionals remain at the forefront of best practices.
In 2025, the School of Education will award 35 doctoral degrees, representing a significant portion of the university’s total doctoral output. Doctoral production is a core metric in R1 classification, and the School of Education’s contribution is a testament to its academic rigor and emphasis on research excellence.
“I am extremely proud of all we continue to achieve together,” said Knoeppel.