Here’s How CA Grad Schools Rank Among Top Programs: U.S. News

CALIFORNIA – U.S. News & World Report has released its 2020 rankings of the best graduate schools in the country and several California schools made the annual list.

The rankings for 2020 evaluate programs in business, law, medicine, engineering, education and nursing, according to U.S. News. The publication explained the rankings are unique for each field.

U.S. News says government data shows that both master's-level and doctorate-level jobs are forecast to increase in the near future.

“Whether you’re looking to pursue a degree in law, medicine or business, the best graduate schools rankings offer the in-depth data and information you need to start your search,” Anita Narayan, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said in a press release. “You can compare data on factors that most interest you — whether that’s how many law students pass the bar and are employed at graduation, or the student-faculty ratio and research expenditures at engineering schools.”

Here’s how California schools ranked for each program evaluated by U.S. News:

Business

Here’s how California schools ranked for full-time MBAs:

• Stanford University (2)
• University of California – Berkeley (6)
• University of California – Los Angeles (16)
• University of Southern California (17)
• University of California – Irvine (43)
• University of California – Davis (47)
• University of California – San Diego (69)
• Pepperdine University (74)
• Chapman University (85)
• University of California – Riverside (91)

Below are the top schools for full-time MBA:

• University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) (1)
• Stanford University (2)
• University of Chicago (Booth) (3)
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) (3)
• Harvard University (3)

Law

Here’s how California schools ranked for law:

• Stanford University (2)
• University of California – Berkeley (10)
• University of California – Los Angeles (15)
• University of Southern California (17)
• University of California – Irvine (23)
• University of California – Davis (31)
• Pepperdine University (51)
• Loyola Marymount University (62)
• University of California Hastings (62)
• University of San Diego (86)
• Santa Clara University (104)
• Chapman University (132)

• Yale University (1)
• Stanford University (2)
• Harvard University (3)

Medical

Here’s how California schools ranked for medical research:

• Stanford University (3)
• University of California – San Francisco (5)
• University of California – Los Angeles (6)
• University of California – San Diego (21)
• University of Southern California (30)
• University of California – Davis (30)
• University of California – Irvine (45)
• University of California – Riverside (89)

Below are the top schools for medical research:

• Harvard University (1)
• Johns Hopkins University (2)
• University of Pennsylvania (3)
• Stanford University (3)

Engineering

Here’s how California schools ranked for engineering:

• Stanford University (2)
• University of California – Berkeley (3)
• California Institute of Technology (5)
• University of Southern California (9)
• University of California – San Diego (11)
• University of California – Los Angeles (16)
• University of California – Santa Barbara (24)
• University of California--Davis (31)
• University of California – Irvine (36)
• University of California – Riverside (75)
• University of California – Santa Cruz (87)
• Naval Postgraduate School (118)
• Santa Clara University (128)
• University of California – Merced (134)
• San Diego State University (141)

Below are the top schools for engineering:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1)
• Stanford University (2)
• University of California-Berkeley (3)

Nursing

Here’s how California schools ranked for nursing:

• University of California – San Francisco (18)
• University of California – Los Angeles (20)
• University of San Diego (43)
• University of California – Davis (46)
• San Diego State University (56)
• California State University – Los Angeles (64)
• University of California – Irvine (87)
• California State University – Fullerton (90)
• Azusa Pacific University (115)
• Western University of Health Sciences (149)
• California Baptist University (153)
• Point Loma Nazarene University (173)
• Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (189)

Below are the top schools for nursing:

• Johns Hopkins University (1)
• Duke University (2)
• University of Pennsylvania (3)

Education

Here’s how California schools rank for education:

• Stanford University (3)
• University of California – Los Angeles (3)
• University of Southern California (12)
• University of California – Berkeley (18)
• University of California – Irvine (23)
• University of California--Davis (36)
• San Diego State University (53)
• University of California – Santa Barbara (53)
• Loyola Marymount University (57)
• University of California – Riverside (66)
• University of California – San Diego (71)
• University of California – Santa Cruz (85)
• Claremont Graduate University (105)
• University of San Diego (134)
• University of San Francisco (143)
• Chapman University (143)
• Mills College (152)
• California State University – Sacramento (172)
• Pepperdine University (186)

Below are the top schools for education:

• Harvard University (1)
• University of Pennsylvania (2)
• University of California-Los Angeles (3)
• Stanford University (3)
• University of Wisconsin-Madison (3)

U.S. News says in its methodology that the rankings are based on two types of data: expert opinions and “statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students.” Statistical indicators include inputs like admission test scores and outputs like starting salaries. (You can read the full methodology here.)