Graduate programs for Iowa universities rise, fall in new rankings

U.S. News & World Report on Tuesday released new graduate school rankings, and several programs at Iowa's public universities moved up the list.

University of Iowa's College of Law ranked No. 22 on the publication's list of 'America's Best Graduate Schools 2016,' up from its No. 27 ranking last year. The UI College of Education ranked 43rd among schools granting doctoral degrees, up five spots from its No. 48 ranking last year.

Iowa State University saw several bumps in the rankings, including its graduate business programming, which jumped 10 spots from No. 73 to No. 63, its engineering program, which reached No. 43 from No. 46, and its College of Education, which moved from No. 86 to No. 83, according to the new rankings.

Overall, 53 UI programs or specialties were ranked this year by U.S. News & World Report, which evaluates programs based on a variety of factors, including test scores, employment outcomes and peer reviews. Iowa State had 30 graduate programs ranked, and UNI had three.

UNI's part-time master of business administration program saw a significant drop — 51 spots — from No. 85 to No. 136, its College of Education slipped three spaces from No. 112 to No. 115, and its speech-language pathology program remained steady at No. 45, according to the rankings.

UNI officials did not immediately respond to questions about why the programs have slipped in the rankings. U.S. News, according to its website, assessed 290 eligible part-time MBA programs based on several factors, including average peer assessment scores, average student test scores, average grade-point average of entering students, and work experience.

In its broader look at graduate education, U.S. News on Tuesday reported fewer graduate students overall. The Council of Graduate Schools found first-time enrollment of U.S. citizens and permanent residents dropped about 1 percent from fall 2012 to fall 2013, according to U.S. News.

At the same time, recent salary data showed monthly earnings for young adults with master's degrees were 24 percent higher than for those with bachelor's degrees. Earnings for graduates with professional or doctoral degrees were 51 percent higher.

At Iowa's public universities, graduate enrollment reached 12,540 in the fall — up from 11,312 last year. Combined professional student numbers dropped from 3,537 last year to 2,404 in fall 2014, according to Board of Regents enrollment reports.

Nicholas Colangelo, dean of UI's College of Education, said he expects enrollment to go up as the need for specialization in high-level areas continues to grow.

'It's very difficult to attain certain positions unless you have certain credentials,' Colangelo said. 'And usually that means graduate education at a master's and Ph.D. level.'

He credited the UI College of Education's rise in the rankings to several factors, including a growing reputation among peers and experts, funded research and faculty publication.

'This past year we did receive more research grants, and more faculty were published in top journals,' he said. 'I think it does reflect the growing strength of this college.'