Florida State University graduate programs continue to shine in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report’s edition of Best Graduate Schools, highlighting the university’s excellence across multiple disciplines.  

In the disciplines included in this year’s publication, 16 FSU graduate programs and specialties ranked in the Top 25 among public universities, with six graduate programs placing No. 1 in Florida. 

University leaders said the rankings reflect strength across a range of academic fields. 

“These rankings show the strength of Florida State across the board,” said President Richard McCullough. “From healthcare to law to the arts and public policy, our programs are delivering real results for students and communities. That kind of depth comes from sustained investment in faculty, research and student success.” 

The results also point to the range of opportunities available to graduate students across FSU, leaders said. 

“These results speak to both the quality and range of our graduate education,” said Provost Jim Clark. “Students can pursue top programs in areas as different as engineering, education, nursing and the arts, and they’re gaining the skills and experience to move directly into impactful careers. Achieving a graduate degree opens up advanced leadership and high-paying positions across Florida, the nation and the globe.” 

Programs in law, education, business, nursing and engineering are ranked annually by U.S. News, using data on enrollment, job attainment, faculty and other quality indicators. Other programs are ranked based solely on opinions of each program’s quality as rated by academic experts at peer institutions.   

FSU graduate programs ranked best in Florida by U.S. News & World Report 

• FSU’s College of Law is tied for No. 1 in Florida. 

• The College of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice is ranked No. 1 in Florida. 

• The College of Medicine’s primary care program holds the highest designation among public medical schools in Florida. 

• The College of Communication and Information’s speech-language pathology program is the best in Florida. 

• The clinical psychology graduate program in the College of Arts and Sciences is tied for No. 1 in Florida. 

• The College of Fine Arts’ graduate programs in visual arts are recognized as the best in Florida.

College of Law 

The College of Law climbed four spots to No. 34 overall and is No. 14 among public universities and No. 1 in Florida, tied with University of Florida. FSU also ranks in the Top 25 among public universities in five law specialties: environmental law (No. 13); contracts/commercial law (No. 16); tax law (No. 20); constitutional law (No. 18); and international law (No. 23).  

Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences 

The Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences graduate program in education ranks No. 8 among public universities and No. 16 overall. FSU programs ranked among the Top 20 public universities in specialties ranked by the publication: special education (No. 11) and secondary teacher education (No. 13). 

College of Nursing 

The College of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice climbed seven spots to No. 21 overall and No. 12 among public colleges. The DNP program ranks No. 1 among public and private institutions in Florida.  

College of Medicine 

The College of Medicine’s primary care program once again earned the highest designation in Florida among public medical schools. FSU earned a Tier 2 ranking in the publication’s four-tier ranking system for medical schools.  

Herbert Wertheim College of Business 

The Herbert Wertheim College of Business’ MBA specialty in real estate secured the No. 8 ranking among public universities nationwide, No. 14 overall. 

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering 

The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering maintained its No. 56 ranking among public engineering graduate programs with doctoral degrees. The college’s graduate engineering specialty program rankings in mechanical engineering soared 16 places to No. 50 among public universities. The college’s biomedical, civil, and materials engineering programs also moved up.   

College of Communication and Information 

This year, U.S. News ranked the discipline of speech-language pathology, based solely on opinions of each program’s quality as rated by academic experts at peer institutions. The speech-language pathology graduate program in the School of Communication Science and Disorders, housed within the College of Communication and Information, ranked No. 13 among publics and No. 17 overall. The program is also the best in Florida.  

College of Social Sciences and Public Policy 

Graduate programs within the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy also received recognition, based solely on opinions of each program’s quality as rated by academic experts at peer institutions. The college’s specialty in leadership ranked No. 16 overall and No. 10 among public universities, while the specialty in local government management ranked No. 21 overall and No. 18 among public universities.  

College of Arts and Sciences 

Clinical psychology and statistics, both housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, earned Top 25 rankings among public universities, based solely on opinions of each program’s quality as rated by academic experts at peer institutions. 

The graduate program in clinical psychology, in the Department of Psychology, ranked No. 21 among public universities and No. 32 overall. The program, a five- to seven-year doctoral program accredited by the American Psychological Association and based on a clinical science model, is tied with the University of Florida for No. 1 in Florida. 

The college’s graduate programs in statistics, in the Department of Statistics, ranked No. 24 among publics. FSU offers master’s and doctoral degrees in biostatistics and statistics and a master’s degree in statistics with a major in statistical data science. 

College of Fine Arts  

The Department of Art’s MFA Studio Art program, housing in the College of Fine Arts, placed No. 33 among public universities and No. 1 in Florida based solely on opinions of each program’s quality as rated by academic experts at peer institutions. This three-year residential program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design.  

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Graduate programs at Florida State University are among the nation’s best, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-2024 edition of “Best Graduate Schools” released April 25.

Programs in education, public affairs, business, nursing and engineering saw improvements in the rankings, highlighted by the College of Education’s five-spot jump to No. 21 among all public and private universities.

“Florida State University is one of the top public research institutions in the nation,” said Jim Clark, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “These rankings are a reflection of our excellent faculty, the rigorous programs we offer, and the high-quality students we attract.”

Mark Riley, dean of The Graduate School, said the FSU’s rising graduate rankings can be attributed to the positive momentum the university has enjoyed recently.

“This is really the most exciting time I’ve ever known at Florida State, and I’ve been here for 32 years,” he said. “We are hiring amazing faculty, our graduate students continue to be phenomenal, and the applications have continued to rise because people are hearing about what a great place this is. Students here know a good thing, and they are our great ambassadors.”

“Florida State University is one of the top public research institutions in the nation. These rankings are a reflection of our excellent faculty, the rigorous programs we offer, and the high-quality students we attract.”

— Jim Clark, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs

The College of Education continued its ascent, rising to No. 21 overall and No. 13 among publics. In addition, four education specialties placed in the Top 20 among public universities — Student Counseling (No. 13), Curriculum and Instruction (No. 18), Special Education (No. 19) and Education Administration (No. 20).

“I’d like to congratulate our faculty, staff and students for achieving their highest-ever U.S. News and World Report ranking of No. 13 among public universities,” said Damon Andrew, dean of the College of Education. “Our multi-year climb in the rankings is a testament to our continued commitment to be student-focused and innovation-driven.”

The College of Business’ MBA specialty in Real Estate maintained its No. 16 ranking overall while it climbed a spot to No. 8 among public school programs — the fourth straight year placing No. 9 or better.

“Once you’ve achieved an elite spot among the nation’s best real estate programs, it’s remarkable to maintain that position – much less improve – in that competitive space,” said Michael Hartline, dean of the College of Business. “We do not take this kind of success for granted, and instead focus on providing business students with the knowledge and skills that prepare them to thrive in any profession or industry they pursue.”

Public Affairs, housed in Askew School of Public Administration and Policy within the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, moved up six spots to No. 26 among public universities and up seven places to No. 39 overall. Two career track specialties within the school’s online MPA program also rose in the ranks. The school’s Public Management and Leadership specialty ranked No. 12 among publics and No. 19 overall, while the Local Government Management specialty placed No. 13 among public universities and No. 15 overall.

“Given ongoing investments in our faculty and programs, I am not surprised to see our exceptional public affairs programs rise in U.S. News and World Report’s rankings,” said Tim Chapin, dean of the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. “Our world-class faculty in the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy, as well as affiliated faculty in Urban & Regional Planning and Emergency Management and Homeland Security, continue to impact Florida and the planet through their academic research and graduating students with the skills to make a difference in their communities.”

The College of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program vaulted 17 places to No. 33 overall and 13 spots to No. 24 among publics. The DNP program, which has risen 44 places in just two years, is now tied with the University of South Florida for the top program in Florida.

“The College of Nursing is proud to share another big win,” said Jing Wang, dean of the College of Nursing. “It has been an immense period of growth and transformation at the college, and achievements like this are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff and students. We all share a common goal in our pursuit of excellence. It is an honor to be ranked at the top in Florida and among the top programs in the country, and we plan to continue building off this momentum.”

The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering also improved, climbing three spots among public and private institutions to earn a No. 92 ranking. The graduate program in Industrial Engineering moved up three places to No. 42 among public institutions, Civil Engineering leapt 21 spots to No. 77 among public universities, and Electrical Engineering climbed 13 places to No. 84 among publics.

“We are pleased to see our graduate rankings in the top 100 doctoral-granting engineering colleges nationwide,” said Suvranu De, dean of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. “This is just a piece of the story of our continued success, but it’s an important one. As we continue to attract and graduate highly qualified engineering students in our program, we will take our rightful place in the top 50 among peer institutions in the U.S. These rankings are key to that vision for us and our parent institutions.”

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