Four University of Texas Medical Branch graduate programs have earned “Best Graduate School” honors from U.S. News & World Report.
The programs recognized in the 2025 Best Graduate Schools rankings by U.S. News World are:
- Doctor of Nursing Practice: #76 (Tied)
- Occupational Therapy #42 (tied)
- Physical Therapy #79 (tied)
- Physician Assistant #35 (tied)
“National recognition of these excellent programs within UTMB’s School of Health Professions reflects the collective work and effort of many individuals across our school and university,” said Dr. Melinda Sheffield-Moore, senior vice president and dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and dean ad interim of the School of Health Professions.
“We look forward to continuing our school’s commitment to training the next generation of health care professionals and leaders,” she said.
U.S. News Best Graduate Schools rankings are designed to help prospective students research more than 2,000 graduate programs. Each year, U.S. News ranks professional school programs in business, education, law and nursing, among other fields, plus specialties in each area.
“Since initial development in 2012, UTMB School of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program has proudly created multiple tracks within it that are tailored to meet the needs of our learners while also meeting the workforce needs of our state,” said Dr. Deborah J. Jones, senior vice president and dean of the UTMB School of Nursing.
“Our DNP program includes the state’s first BSN-DNP dual FNP/AGACNP track, which was designed to ensure that the region’s needs are met and students leave UTMB with career options,” she said.
The Best Graduate Schools rankings are based on expert opinion about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research and students and their post-graduate outcomes.
Data for the rankings come from statistical surveys of 2,225 programs and from reputation surveys sent to approximately 5,766 academics and 10,941 professionals. U.S. News relies on schools to accurately report their data.
To gather the peer assessment data, U.S. News asked deans, program directors and senior faculty to judge the academic quality of programs in their field on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding). To assess academic reputation in business, education, law and nursing, U.S. News also surveyed professionals who hire or work with new graduates.
As prospective students research course offerings and weigh schools' intangible attributes, they can use the information on the U.S. News website to compare concrete factors like financial aid statistics and job placement success.
“It’s certainly an honor to have our graduate programs recognized in this way, but the true honor is having our programs entrusted with the education of the health care leaders of the future,” said Dr. Antonio Bianco, interim senior vice president and dean of the John Sealy School of Medicine. “It’s gratifying, but not surprising, that UTMB’s commitment to excellence is reflected in this ranking.”
U.S. News stresses, however, that the rankings are just a tool to supplement—not substitute for—careful thought and individual inquiry.