When “U.S. News and World Report” (USNWR) released its well-known annual rankings of U.S. graduate schools, March 29, the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) once again maintained high marks in several programs, including a program tied for #1 overall.
In fact, since USNWR added the specialization category of Homeland/National Security and Emergency Management for its rankings of public affairs schools in 2020, NPS has been ranked at or tied for the top overall spot.
Additionally, NPS comes in ranked 34th in Industrial/Manufacturing/Systems Engineering, 39th in aerospace engineering, and jumping an impressive 25 spots from last year to 75th in electrical engineering in the latest rankings. In the cumulative overall rankings, the school came in 109th in general Engineering school rankings, and 65th overall in USNWR’s ranking of public affairs schools.
“With five academic programs ranked in the top 75 of our country, including the nation’s number one Homeland Security Program, and a ranked and ABET accredited engineering school, NPS continues to demonstrate outstanding teaching and research that place it among the nation’s top graduate institutions,” said Dr. Scott Gartner, NPS Provost and Academic Dean.
USNWR employs both statistical surveys and peer assessments in evaluating programs, which are determined eligible through their accreditation. While the rankings began as a service to prospective students and parents exploring graduate program options, the popular rankings have a become a critical measure of a university’s quality in instruction, research and degree value.
For a unique institution like NPS, school leaders say the rankings are a direct reflection of NPS’ ability to execute its mission at a high level of excellence.
“NPS strives to conduct high quality, innovative academic teaching and research that support and augment our nation’s military, especially its Naval services, to provide a cutting-edge warfighting advantage today and moving forward,” said Gartner. “The continued excellent rankings of NPS programs demonstrates the high quality of our academic programs, and why they can be impactful to America’s security.”