UC San Diego Ranked Among America's Best Graduate Schools

Online, April 15, 2010 (Newswire.com) - The University of California, San Diego's School of Medicine, Jacobs School of Engineering and graduate programs in the sciences are ranked in the top 20 by America's Best Graduate Schools, 2011 Edition released today by U.S. News & World Report. The annual, closely watched nationwide ranking of college and university graduate programs recognizes excellence across a broad range of disciplines. This year's rankings feature graduate school programs in business, education, engineering, law, medicine and the sciences.

UC San Diego's Jacobs School of Engineering is ranked 13th out of 192 engineering schools; the biomedical/bioengineering program within the engineering school is ranked 2nd in the nation. The university's School of Medicine is ranked 16th in research-intensive programs among 122 medical schools; its AIDS program in the primary care category is ranked 10th.

"Despite budget constraints, our professional schools and graduate programs continue to offer world-class educational opportunities that prepare students to achieve scientific, medical and technological breakthroughs," said UC San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox. "These rankings reflect the significant impact that our university has had locally, nationally and globally for nearly 50 years."

Six graduate programs at UC San Diego moved up in rankings, including the physics plasma program, ranked 5th, up from 7th last year; the School of Medicine's drug/alcohol program in the primary care category, 8th, up from 10th; computer science at the Jacobs School of Engineering, 14th, up from 16th; physics, 14th, up from 16th; biological sciences, 15th, up from 18th; and mathematics 20th, up from 24th.

"The latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report confirm the continuing academic excellence of our programs," added UC San Diego's Dean of Graduate Studies Kim Barrett. "It is particularly gratifying that recognition for our top programs shows how our campus has matured to be recognized by peers across the country as a preeminent institution at which to pursue graduate education."

Other UC San Diego graduate programs ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report include: discrete mathematics and combinations program, 6th; neuroscience/neurobiology program, 7th; biochemistry, 10th; and earth sciences 17th.

Each year, U.S. News ranks professional-school programs in business, education, engineering, law and medicine. These rankings are based on two types of data: expert opinions about program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research and students. These data come from surveys of more than 1,200 programs and some 12,400 academics and professionals that were conducted in fall 2009. Also ranked this year were programs in the sciences, including new rankings of Ph.D. programs in biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, earth sciences, mathematics, physics and statistics. These rankings are based solely on the ratings of academic experts. For more information, visit www.usnews.com.

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