KU Medical Center graduate programs in health care management and public health rank 26th and 50th in new U.S. News rankings

The health care management and public health programs at the University of Kansas School of Medicine have both moved up in rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report in its 2024 Best Graduate Schools rankings.

The U.S. News rankings for Best Medical Schools (as well as Best Law Schools), originally scheduled for release on April 18, have been postponed as U.S. News addresses “an unprecedented number of inquiries” received from schools during the embargo period during which schools reviewed their data.

U.S. News has not provided a new release date for those rankings, but it has released rankings for specific graduate programs.

The health care management program, known as Health Policy and Management at KU School of Medicine, ranked 26th for public institutions, up from 32nd in the 2019 rankings, the last time it was ranked. Offered through the Department of Population Health as both a master’s degree and a doctorate, this program also inched into the top 50 for all schools, moving from 51st for 2019 to tie for the 47th spot for 2024. For the health care management rankings, survey respondents rated peer programs on a scale of 1-5 for academic quality, and rankings were determined by the average of ratings each program received.

The Master of Public Health program, offered through the Department of Population Health in KU School of Medicine, ranked 50th among public institutions for 2024, up from 72nd in the 2023 rankings. It now ranks 76th among all schools in the 2024 rankings, up from 106th for 2023. The public health rankings were computed from the results of peer assessment surveys completed by deans, other administrators or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools.

"Offering excellent programs for our students is a critical part of our mission,” said Robert D. Simari, M.D., executive vice chancellor of the University of Kansas Medical Center. “The dedication and quality of our faculty and staff have been moving our institution forward, and we expect that trend to continue.”

U.S. News ranks different programs in different years. Other KU Medical Center programs that have a current ranking in the top 50 among programs at public institutions include:

Physical therapy: 6th
Speech-language pathology: 6th
Occupational therapy: 9th
Audiology: 10th 
Nurse-midwifery: 11th
Nurse anesthesia: 14th 
Bachelor of Science in Nursing: 22nd

Overall, the University of Kansas has 37 graduate programs in the top 50 among public universities — including nine programs in the top 10 — in the 2024 rankings from U.S. News.

“We are always pleased to be recognized for our nationally renowned programs,” said KU Chancellor Douglas A. Girod, M.D. “That said, we remain focused on our own measures of success and our strategies to ensure we are educating students, serving Kansas and conducting world-class research that improves the world.”