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Boston College’s graduate programs surged upward in rankings of elite national universities released Monday by US News & World Report.
The Connell School of Nursing saw its ranking climb five places to 21st, while the Carroll School of Management moved up five places to 34th. The Lynch School of Education moved up four places to 15th on the list of graduate education programs, its highest ranking in 15 years, and retained its position as the top-ranked program among Catholic universities.
Boston College Law School advanced one spot to 27th. The Economics Department’s doctoral program ranked 31st, the highest ranking among the University’s PhD programs. In the sciences, the Chemistry Department ranked 45th in the US. The Graduate School of Social Work, a program that was not reviewed this year, ranks 14th in the country.
Provost and Dean of Faculties Cutberto Garza praised the work of faculty and staff and credited a range of strategic initiatives in the University’s graduate and professional programs.
“The latest set of rankings confirm what is widely recognized – the excellence of these Boston College professional schools, the ‘across-the-board’ strength of the University’s graduate and professional programs, and our shared determination to continue our rise among institutions of higher education,” said Garza.
Carroll School of Management Dean Andy Boynton said he was thrilled by the recognition earned by the University’s graduate management programs.
“Our MBA is nothing less than a bright jewel of a remarkable program – small and flexible, encouraging personalized learning and career development, enriched with real-world company-based project work, energized by outstanding faculty, and attended by experienced and talented students,” said Boynton. “Given all that, our continued rise in the rankings is well earned.”
Carroll School Associate Dean for Graduate Programs Jeffrey Ringuest said the US News rankings confirm the high regard for the program reflected in additional business school rankings in BusinessWeek and Financial Times.
“This uptick in the rankings is a result of the hard work of our staff and faculty and a reflection of the quality of our programs and students,” said Ringuest. “It’s gratifying that US News, BusinessWeek and the Financial Times all recognize our programs as being among the very best.”
Lynch School Interim Dean Maureen Kenny said the rankings reflect the concerted efforts of faculty, staff, students and alumni on furthering the Lynch School’s mission of service to all children and social justice.
“The strength and impact of the Lynch School is confirmed this year as we remain the highest rated program among Catholic universities and one the very best programs among all universities,” said Kenny. “We welcome this recognition of our outstanding faculty, students, staff, and alumni who keep the mission of service and social justice at the core of their education, outreach, research, and practice.”
Kenny also commended programs within the school that were rated among the best in the country, including Elementary Teacher Education, which ranked 16th, and Student Counseling and Personnel Services, which ranked 17th.
Law School Interim Dean George Brown welcomed the school’s improved ranking, but stressed, “We’re not done,” improving a range of programs and services for students.
“This is a reflection of a lot of hard work by a number of people,” Brown said. “We have put many important initiatives in place during the past several years, aimed at strengthening the School, including hiring more faculty, creating more job opportunities for our students, and increasing our available scholarship money.
Susan Gennaro, dean of the Connell School of Nursing, said the school’s graduate programs have benefited from the addition of new faculty, who have added to the high quality of teaching and research in nursing science. In addition, the school has pushed to provide its graduate students with global opportunities for study and research.
“The ranking is foremost a reflection of our excellent faculty,” said Gennaro. “In addition to that, we have absolutely fantastic programs and we are in one of the leading health science centers in the world. People who come here as graduate students get a world-class education.”