U.S. News & World Report places the AYS 23rd among nation’s Best Public Affairs Schools

ATLANTA – U.S. News & World Report rankings of “America’s Best Graduate Schools 2013” has moved the Andrew Young School up four points in its “Best Public Affairs Schools” category to a ranking of 23, four points higher than in 2008, the last year the magazine ranked public affairs graduate programs. The ranking places Georgia State University within the top nine percent of U.S. institutions with public affairs programs, tying it with programs at Georgetown, Rutgers, the University of Chicago and University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, among others.

Programs within the Andrew Young School also saw major ranking gains:

• Public Finance and Budgeting moved up to #4 from #5
• Nonprofit Management moved up to #12 from #13
• City Management and Urban Policy was ranked #12
• Public-Policy Analysis was ranked #24
• Public Management and Administration moved up to #26 from #33

Notably, the School of Social Work rose to #52 from a 2008 ranking of #71, the second highest ranking of a school or department that does not have a doctoral degree program. The Andrew Young School’s economics program was ranked #65 under the U.S. News’s Social Sciences banner.

“These rankings represent the hard work and long hours that our exceptional faculty members have been putting in,” says Dean Mary Beth Walker about the school’s significant rise in the rankings. “It is really wonderful to see that our work is being recognized and rewarded. Results like these are important because they help us to attract more high quality students and faculty.”

The methodology report posted online by U.S. News shows that its public affairs program rankings are based solely on the results of a peer assessment survey of deans, directors and department chairs of many of the nation’s public affairs and administration programs. Specialty rankings are based solely on ratings by educators at peer schools. The survey was conducted last fall (2011).

U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools 2013” is posted at usnews.com.

Best Public Affairs Schools 2013 is posted at http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-public-affairs-schools/public-affairs-rankings.