U.S. News Graduate School Rankings: Schar School’s Profile Continues to Rise

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A silver and glass building has a green Schar School banner on it.
Schar School’s Mark J. Rozell: ‘In a highly competitive market, we continue to rank among the best in graduate professional education.’ Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

George Mason University has 10 graduate programs in the top 30 among public institutions, according to the latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report, reflecting the university’s reputation for innovation and ability to make significant impacts on the national stage.

Mason’s newest rankings were led by the Schar School of Policy and Government’s homeland security program, which is ranked No. 5 among all universities nationally. It is the sixth consecutive year the program has ranked in the top 10.

Four Schar School programs are in the top 30 among public institutions and in the top 50 among all national universities. In addition to homeland security, there is nonprofit management (No. 13 overall); public finance (No. 24); public policy analysis (No. 34). 

These programs contribute to the school’s overall public affairs program’s placement at No. 39 in the country.

Homeland security, nonprofit management, and public finance are also ranked best in Virginia. And the nonprofit management program saw its ranking improve by 14 places among public institutions and 19 among all universities.

“These rankings are a recognition of our high-quality academic programs,” Schar School dean Mark J. Rozell said. “In a highly competitive market, we continue to rank among the best in graduate professional education.”

Mason’s other top 30 programs include three from the College of Public Health, the special education program in the College of Education and Human Development, and the industrial engineering program in the College of Engineering and Computing.

Overall, Mason has 14 programs in the top 50 among public universities and 10 in the top 50 of all universities nationally. Several other programs made significant gains.

“I am very proud that Mason’s graduate programs are of exceptional quality, are well respected while providing areas of study that enhance our student’s academic success and help them to achieve their career aspirations,” Provost Mark Ginsberg said. “The recognition provided by U.S. News & World Report affirms that Mason is a cutting-edge university that is thriving locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.”

Mason, Virginia’s largest, most diverse, and innovative university, conferred the most graduate degrees of any four-year public institution in the commonwealth in the 2021-22 academic year, including 24 percent of all master’s degrees issued during the year, according to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

Additional reporting by Buzz McClain, Schar School of Policy and Government.