Updated July 10, 2018

Temple’s academic ascension was reinforced once more this week with the announcement that multiple graduate schools and programs rose in the 2017 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools.

Calculated with factors such as employment rates, research activity, and student-to-faculty ratios, the annual rankings tell a story of a university with a robust graduate community.

Among the U.S. News Best Grad School rankings:

• The Beasley School of Law advanced to No. 50 in the nation, following a year in which it propelled nine spots to the No. 52 position. 
• Tyler School of Art retained a spot in the Top 15 schools in the country, under a fine arts ranking that is measured every four years.
• Tyler’s glass program ranked No. 2 in the country. 
• The College of Education rose from No. 56 to No. 55, one year after it climbed seven spots. 
• The Lewis Katz School of Medicine improved from No. 55 to No. 54 for research. 

"Temple has an outstanding and broad array of graduate and professional programs,” said President Neil D. Theobald. “Breakthrough performance by our faculty builds breakthrough eras, and these rankings are further evidence of Temple's unprecedented momentum.”

Upward trajectory
The graduate schools rankings come on the heels of another historic marker: In February, the university rose from the “high research activity” category in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education to the “highest research activity” classification, placing Temple among the top four percent of all four-year institutions in the country.

The latest rankings are released at a time when freshman applications and admitted student qualifications are breaking records, campus is taking shape and athletic programs are thriving. Additionally, last fall, Temple received its highest-ever position in the 2016 edition of U.S. News’ Best Colleges.

“Temple’s latest advancements in the Best Grad Schools rankings by U.S. News & World Report reflect not only the overall trajectory and momentum of the institution, but also the continuous improvement taking place within our many high-quality graduate programs,” said Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Assessment and Institutional Research Jodi Levine Laufgraben, EDU ’95.

Against fellow public higher education institutions in Pennsylvania, Temple’s programs are listed among the top: Tyler ranked No. 1 for fine arts, as did its glass program. Beasley was also ahead of the pack at No. 1.

‘Why we do what we do’
“We are truly gratified that our hard work is recognized,” said Beasley School of Law Dean JoAnne Epps. “This makes it clear we are doing a good job for our students, and that’s why we do what we do.”

By breaking into the U.S. News Top 50, Beasley joins the University of Pennsylvania Law School as the only regional schools included in the report’s top tier. In addition to the school’s overall position—its highest-ever—several of its programs received national recognition: international law (No. 12), legal writing (No. 10), part-time programs (No. 6) and trial advocacy (No. 2). Each specialty program is listed as the best in Pennsylvania.

Helping to boost the College of Education to the No. 55 ranking was its emphasis on research. In the 2015 edition of the rankings, released in 2014, the college ranked No. 63.

Dean Gregory M. Anderson remarked: “This year’s ranking reflects a $1.7 million increase in the research productivity of our faculty. This output, combined with the increasing quality of our graduate students, has elevated our ranking eight spots since 2015.”

“The latest rankings acknowledge Tyler's excellent faculty, our state-of-the-art facilities, the curricular depth of our programs and the accomplishments of our alumni,” said Tyler Interim Dean Hester Stinnett, TYL ’82. “I’m especially proud of the well-deserved recognition of our glass program. Now everyone across the nation will know what we have known all along: that Tyler glass, like our other incredible programs, has highly talented faculty who work closely with their students, is housed in a spectacular studio and hosts an impressive visiting artist lecture series that provides inspiration our students."