6 UH Mānoa graduate programs rank in nation’s top 50

Six graduate programs at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa have been ranked among the top 50 in the nation, with 10 more in the top 100, according to US News & World Report’s 2025 Best Graduate Schools rankings released April 8.

The William S. Richardson School of Law earned the university’s highest placement, ranking No. 16 for part-time law programs, No. 36 for environmental law and No. 45 for international law. The John A. Burns School of Medicine was ranked in the top tier (tier 1) for best medical schools for primary care and placed No. 41 for the percentage of graduates practicing primary care and No. 47 for those working in rural areas.

UH Mānoa’s School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene also ranked No. 43 among the nation’s best nursing schools for its Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program—the only Hawaiʻi DNP program ranked by US News and World Report since 2018.

“These latest rankings reflect UH Mānoa’s unwavering dedication to academic excellence and impactful research,” said UH Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno. “They speak to the strength of our graduate programs and the hard work of our faculty, students and staff.”

Law, medicine and nursing earn national recognition

The William S. Richardson School of Law was recognized in 15 categories, including legal writing (No. 51), dispute resolution (No. 72) and criminal law (No. 82). It was also ranked No. 99 overall out of nearly 200 of the best law schools in the nation

The John A. Burns School of Medicine also placed in tier 2 for research-focused medical schools and ranked No. 166 for producing graduates who serve in medically underserved areas.

Other top programs

• The College of Education ranked No. 65 out of 258 schools, marking its 20th consecutive year in the top 100.
• The College of Engineering placed with civil engineering at No. 91, electrical engineering at No. 90 and mechanical engineering at No. 124.
• The Shidler College of Business rose 29 spots to No. 137 out of 241 schools for its part-time MBA program—the only AACSB-accredited MBA program in Hawaiʻi with a dedicated Asia-Pacific focus.

The rankings were based on metrics including research productivity, student selectivity, graduate placement and faculty resources. Recent recognition for UH Mānoa has also come from global ranking systems such as QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education.