Graduate programs in the University of South Florida (USF) College of Behavioral and
Community Sciences (CBCS) continue to earn national recognition, with multiple programs
advancing in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings.
Three programs — clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling, speech-language
pathology, and audiology — jumped multiple spots in the rankings released today.
The clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling program rose from 46th to 18th and is the top rehabilitation counseling program in Florida.
Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling students participate in the program's field placement fair.
"The continued rise of the clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling program in national rankings is a testament to the outstanding expertise and talent of our faculty and students," said Lise Fox, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Child and Family Studies. "Through a blend of rigorous academic training, transformative faculty research, strong clinical supervision, and hands-on field placements, we ensure that our students — and our program — thrive."
The speech-language pathology program also saw double-digit gains, rising from 52nd to 39th, and the audiology program moved up to 20th from its previous ranking of 22nd and is the top audiology program in Florida.
"The audiology and speech-language pathology program rankings reflect the college's commitment to hiring the best faculty and to supporting our student programs," said M. Adelaida Restrepo, professor and chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. "Our growth in research faculty committed to improving clinical outcomes, and the high caliber of our clinical faculty, provides the best training to our students. Our students work hard and take advantage of a variety of clinical opportunities leading to a great education in our programs."
A student conducts an audiology exam in the USF Hearing Clinic.
The speech-language pathology program has seen a continued climb over the past several years, as the program also moved up three spots in 2024. In addition to the rankings released today, two other CBCS programs are currently in the top 100: criminology, which is ranked 18th, and social work, which moved up 11 spots in the rankings from 94th to 83rd last year.
“These rankings go beyond numbers — they are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students,” said Julie Serovich, PhD, dean of the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences. “They reflect the strength of our academic programs and the quality of the education we provide, empowering our students to make a meaningful impact in their respective fields.”
In addition to the graduate program rankings, in September 2024 U.S. News ranked USF as one of the nation’s top 50 public universities for the sixth consecutive year, and the “best value” among all public and private universities in Florida for the second consecutive year.