Six academic programs at Michigan State University are ranked in the top 25 in the world — with several others improving in the top 50 — according to a widely used international ranking of universities.
The Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2020, released in July, is compiled by the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, an independent organization focused on higher education research.
More than 1,800 universities across 90 countries are ranked annually based on indicators that include measures of research quality, extent of international collaboration, research with top quality and the highest academic recognitions.
“I am pleased Michigan State’s excellence and competitiveness once again are validated with a high rank among our research university peers,” said MSU President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D. “The criteria considered in this ranking demonstrate the breadth and depth of our faculty members’ expertise, as well as the ubiquity of their research around the world.”
Programs appearing in the top 25 in the world are:
- Education: No. 2
- Communication: No. 4
- Environmental Science and Engineering: No. 6
- Agricultural Sciences: No. 11
- Management: No. 21, an improvement of four spots over last year
- Business Administration: No. 22, an improvement of two spots over last year
Highlights and improvements for programs ranked in the top 50 include:
- Sociology: No. 29, an improvement of seven positions
- Hospitality and Tourism: No. 30, an of improvement six positions
- Ecology: No. 41, an improvement of one position
- Political Science: No. 43, an improvement of 16 positions
- Biotechnology: No. 47, a substantial improvement from No. 72