By Althea Johnson, University Communications and Marketing
The University of South Florida offers more than 30 graduate programs that are considered among the best in America, according to new rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report. USF features 31 graduate programs ranked inside the top 100 among all public and private institutions, including 15 ranked in the top 50 and five in the top 25. USF’s programs are also among the best in Florida, with 14 programs ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the state.
“The University of South Florida is committed to delivering a world-class education, and we are proud to have many of our graduate programs considered among the nation’s best,” USF President Rhea Law said. “The growing reputation of our graduate programs is an indication that we provide an outstanding return on investment for our students and reflects USF’s position as one of America’s leading research universities.”
A speech-langauge pathology student works with a patient in USF's Speech-Language Clinic [Photo courtesy of Patricia Harrison, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences]
USF’s highest-ranked programs are industrial and organizational psychology at No. 3, criminology at No. 18 and rehabilitation counseling, which jumped 28 spots to No. 18, breaking into the top 25.
In addition, USF’s part-time MBA program moved up 15 spots and now sits inside the top 50, at No. 38. The speech-language pathology and healthcare management programs also saw double-digit gains and now rank in the top 50. USF’s psychology program also leaped 35 spots.
“These rankings are a testament to the University of South Florida’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence,” said Prasant Mohapatra, USF provost and executive vice president. “Our dedicated faculty and staff ensure that our graduates are not only well-prepared but are also at the forefront of research, ready to tackle the challenges we face in today's world."
Today’s U.S. News rankings also placed the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the top-ranked medical school in Florida and named the college to the highest tier of medical schools in the nation.
Full list of USFs top-50 programs:
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology* – 3 (No. 1 in Florida)
- Criminology* – 18
- Rehabilitation Counseling – 18 (No. 1 in Florida)
- Audiology – 20 (No. 1 in Florida)
- Nursing – Master’s – 23 (No. 1 in Florida)
- Public Health – 27 (No. 1 in Florida)
- Library and Information Studies – 29
- Business – Part‐time MBA – 38
- Speech-Language Pathology – 39
- Healthcare Management – 41
- Nursing – Anesthesia – 41 (No. 1 in Florida)
- Physical Therapy – 42
- Medical – Graduates Practicing in Health Professional Shortage Areas/Medically Underserved Areas – 42
- Engineering – Industrial/Manufacturing/Systems – 44
- Education – Overall – 49
Full list of USF’s 51-100 programs:
- Nursing – Doctor of Nursing Practice – 52
- Earth Sciences* – 54
- Engineering – Environmental – 54
- Physician's Assistant/Associate Studies – 58
- Pharmacy* – 60
- Psychology – 62
- Fine Arts* – 73
- Engineering – Chemical – 78
- Engineering – Civil – 79
- Engineering – Computer – 79
- Social Work* – 83
- Statistics* – 86
- Engineering – Overall – 89
- Engineering – Electrical/Electronic/Communications – 90
- Computer Science – 94
- Sociology – 100
As U.S. News does not release new rankings for every program, every year, rankings denoted with an asterisk have been republished this year.
According to U.S. News, rankings are generated through “ranking indicators” derived from reputation and/or data reported by each institution. For some programs, U.S. News evaluates key areas such as expert opinions in the field, opportunities for student engagement, resources for student support and career success, as well as faculty and student performance, in terms of existing credentials, research impact and metrics such as student job placement.
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.