UH Mānoa shines in national grad program rankings: 2 in top 25, 13 in top 100

Two graduate programs at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa are in the nation’s top 25, and an additional 11 programs are in the top 100, according to the 2024 US News and World Report’s Best Graduate Schools rankings, released Tuesday.

The highest ranked programs are in the William S. Richardson School of Law, ranking No. 23 for both best part-time law programs and best environmental law programs.

Rankings were based on different criteria, including research activity (publications and citations), placement success (employment and earnings), quality assessment (peer and recruiter assessments), student selectivity (GPA and test scores) and faculty resources (doctoral degrees awarded and student to faculty ratio).

“In light of our recognition in the US News and World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings, we affirm that UH Mānoa’s commitment to academic and research excellence remains unwavering,” said UH Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno. “These rankings underscore the caliber of our academic programs and the dedication of our community to scholarly pursuits. Hawaiʻi residents can take pride that your university stands as a beacon of excellence, nurturing our state’s next generation of innovators, educators and leaders.”

While not all programs are ranked every year, seven of UH Mānoa’s graduate programs appeared in the nation’s top 75 in last year’s 2023-2024 rankings by US News and World Report.

William S. Richardson School of Law

The William S. Richardson School of Law was ranked in 15 categories by US News and World Report. In addition to its ranking of No. 23 for best part-time law programs and best environmental law programs, the UH Mānoa law school placed No. 127 out of nearly 200 of the best law schools in the nation.

Other law school rankings include: 

• International law: No. 66
• Legal writing: No. 71
• Dispute resolution: No. 74
• Constitutional law: No. 78
• Contracts/commercial law: No. 91
• Criminal law: No. 104 
• Clinical training: No. 108
• Tax law: No. 113
• Business/corporate law: No. 115
• Intellectual property law: No. 128
• Health care law: No. 132 
• Trial advocacy: No. 182

Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health

The Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health’s Department of Social Work ranked No. 51 out of 319 social work programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, and the Office of Public Health Studies ranked No. 103 out of the top public health schools and programs in the US accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health.

Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing

The Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing’s doctor of nursing practice program was ranked No. 59 among 156 of the top schools in US News and World Report’s best nursing schools ranking. UH Mānoa’s nursing school is the only Hawaiʻi DNP program ranked by U.S. News and World Report since 2018. The Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing also placed No. 69 out of the 169 schools for best master’s nursing programs.

College of Education

The College of Education (COE) ranked No. 67 of 255 schools ranked, the 19th straight year the college has been listed as one of the nation’s top 100 education programs. The COE has been nationally accredited since 2000.

College of Social Sciences

The Public Administration Program in the College of Social Sciences placed No. 89 out of the top 271 graduate programs considered. The master’s of public administration (MPA) program is the only one accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration in the state, and offers an 18-month accelerated, two-year full-time and three-year part-time plan.

Shidler College of Business

The Shidler College of Business ranked No. 92 out of 506 institutions with master’s level business programs in the US accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. In addition, Shidler placed No. 166 for best part-time master of business administration programs. Shidler’s MBA programs are the only AACSB International accredited MBA programs in Hawaiʻi and among the few MBA programs in the US with a true Asia-Pacific focus.

College of Engineering and College of Natural Sciences

Computer science, a joint program in the College of Engineering and Department of Information and Computer Sciences, ranked No. 120.

US News and World Report announced that the best medical schools, best engineering schools and best clinical psychology program rankings will be delayed until further notice.

For a full list of rankings, visit the Mānoa Institutional Research Office website.