The overall strength of UNLV's graduate and professional programs was recognized again in U.S. News & World Report's latest annual rankings, released this spring: A total of 24 UNLV programs, including 14 programs at the William S. Boyd School of Law, ranked in the top 100 nationally in their fields.
In addition to Boyd Law's strong performance, the Lee School of Business's part-time MBA program rose 25 places to 73rd, physical therapy rose more than 10 places to 44th, and the School of Nursing's Master of Science in Nursing (63) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (81) both comfortably made it into the top 100. The School of Engineering also had several programs ranked in the top 100, including Nuclear Engineering (28), Aeronautics and Astronautics (68), Environmental Engineering (77), and Civil Engineering (97).
“UNLV's graduate and professional programs enrich our university and propel us on our path as a high-performing, community-based research university,” said UNLV President Keith E. Whitfield. “From medicine and law to STEM, social sciences and business, UNLV's outstanding graduate programs provide opportunities for students and strengthen our community in countless ways. This ranking is the latest validation of their impact.”
Boyd Law School again ranked tops in the nation overall and in several subject-specific categories, including rankings in the top 10 for legal writing (2) and dispute resolution (7). Overall, Boyd Law School ranked 78th out of 196 accredited programs, with its part-time program ranked 13th.
Other law school programs that made it into the top 100 in this year's national rankings include Health Law (36th), Clinical Training (38th), Contract/Commercial Law (41st), Intellectual Property Law (48th), Tax Law (49th), Criminal Law (61st), Business/Corporate Law (64th), Constitutional Law (68th), Environmental Law (81st) and Trial Advocacy (90th).
UNLV's graduate programs in social work (83) and public policy (89) also ranked within the top 100 in their respective fields.
“UNLV's strong performance in the latest annual rankings is a testament to our ongoing commitment to educational excellence. We are proud to be recognized for our commitment to providing top-class programs that prepare students to succeed in their chosen fields,” said UNLV Vice President and Dean Chris L. Heavey. “This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff and students as we continue to pursue our mission of enhancing the quality of a UNLV education.”
Each year, U.S. News analyzes more than 2,000 graduate and professional programs across a wide range of fields. Programs are ranked by field or specialization and evaluated based on criteria specific to each degree area, expert opinion on program excellence, and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students.
U.S. News publishes annual rankings of graduate programs in six major fields, as well as periodically ranking other programs in a variety of disciplines. UNLV had several “off-cycle” graduate programs that made it into the rankings in their fields during the most recent evaluation period, including Healthcare Management (65th in 2024), Geosciences (98th in 2024), Criminology (29th in 2022), Sociology (84th in 2022), Political Science (89th in 2022) and English (99th in 2022).
Learn more about the 2024 U.S. News & World Report “Best Graduate Schools” rankings.
