In its 2024 Best Graduate Schools rankings, U.S. News & World Report recognized six of Michigan State University’s graduate programs as first in the nation, including two programs recognized as No. 1 for three decades.

“Leading global research universities like MSU are all about strong academic disciplines and professional programs. Continuously earning high marks from our peers through the U.S. News & World Report rankings confirms the high quality of our work,” said MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz. “Spartan graduate students are tomorrow’s knowledge leaders and world-changers.”

With the release of the report, the College of Education — which is ranked No. 21 in the nation overall — broke two of its own records. Five programs are now ranked No. 1 and all of the ranked programs appear in the top 10. This marked the 30th consecutive year the college has been ranked No. 1 for elementary and secondary education.

“The continued prevalence of Michigan State University throughout the education rankings illustrates our long-standing commitment to teaching, learning, research and outreach. We are proud of this continued recognition, which celebrates the work of faculty, students, alumni and staff,” said Jerlando F.L. Jackson, dean of the MSU College of Education. “For generations, MSU has been a leader in the field of education. We are energized to continue the momentum for generations to come.”

The rankings of the College of Education graduate programs are:

• No. 1 — Curriculum and instruction
• No. 1 — Elementary education
• No. 1 — Secondary education
• No. 1 — Educational administration
• No. 1 — Higher education administration
• No. 4 — Educational psychology
• No. 6 — Education policy
• No. 9 — Special education

MSU also continued its excellence in supply chain management. U.S. News & World Report ranked the supply chain and logistics graduate program No. 1 for the eighth straight year with the undergraduate program ranked No. 1 for more than a decade. The operations and sourcing management program, also in the Department of Supply Chain Management, is ranked No. 9 in production/operations.

“As a Broad College community, we are incredibly proud to be ranked No. 1 in supply chain/logistics for eight consecutive years at the graduate level. This lasting recognition not only demonstrates MSU’s role as thought leaders in the supply chain field, but also how our faculty, staff, students and alumni continue to inspire the future of business,” said Judith Whipple, interim dean of the Broad College of Business.

U.S. News & World Report does not rank every program annually. The graduate programs not appearing in the 2024-25 report that maintain their top 20 positions are:

• No. 2 — Nuclear physics
• No. 2 — Rehabilitation counseling
• No. 2 — Industrial and organizational psychology
• No. 3 — African history
• No. 9 — Criminal justice/criminology
• No. 16 — Econometrics
• No. 17 — African American history

U.S. News & World Report bases individual disciplinary program rankings on expert opinion about program excellence.

Learn more about graduate education at MSU.