Excellence in education: MSU named #1 in nation

March 17, 2020

Michigan State University continues to monitor and respond to the novel coronavirus pandemic, with a focus on protecting the health of students, staff and faculty.

During this difficult time, we are pleased to share some good news: the MSU College of Education has been named No. 1 in the nation for four of its graduate programs in education and rehabilitation counseling, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The university was ranked No. 1 in elementary and secondary education for the 26th straight year, and maintained its top ranking for curriculum and instruction. The university also remains No. 1 in rehabilitation counseling, since its last ranking by U.S. News in 2019.

Photo of Erickson Hall

“These top rankings reflect the high-quality work of our faculty, students, staff and especially graduates, with a consistently strong performance over many years,” said Robert E. Floden, dean of the College of Education. “Our work builds on the land-grant tradition of Michigan State University, conducting and using rigorous research to improve policy and practice, and ultimately improving lives.”

Rankings across the college

In total, eight educational specialty areas within MSU’s College of Education placed within the nation’s top 10 programs. The results were based on a survey of education school deans across the country.

Here is the full list of MSU College of Education programs listed in the U.S. News 2021 edition of “Best Graduate Schools:”

MSU was also listed among the best programs for special education (#13) and counseling and personnel services (tied, #15). Overall MSU is ranked #24 in the nation, and #13 among public universities.

In addition, the college’s online graduate programs in education were ranked #4 in the nation earlier this year, according to a separate ranking from U.S. News. In international rankings, MSU ranks even higher—ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects named the university #1 in the world for education in 2019.


Read MSU Today for details about other graduate program rankings across campus. Visit usnews.com/grad for more information.