Published: March 31, 2021

Several of CU Boulder's graduate-level programs are among the top 25 of their kind in the United States, according to rankings released Tuesday, March 30, by U.S. News and World Report.

U.S. News does not update its rankings for every program each year. In the publication’s 2022 issue, CU Boulder maintains previous rankings (from 2016 to 2021) or has taken new positions in a number of disciplines. Ranking in the top 10 nationally, these include: atomic/molecular/optical physics (2); quantum physics (6); aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering (or Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences) (10); physical chemistry (10); environmental law (10); and clinical psychology (10).

Additionally, CU Boulder’s graduate offerings in the following U.S. News categories rank in the teens nationally: education policy (12); applied mathematics (14); physics (14); audiology (14); environmental/environmental health engineering (14); chemical engineering (14); sociology of population (17); and Earth sciences (19).

“CU Boulder’s continued presence among graduate programs of excellence in U.S. News & World Report is a tribute to the world-class teaching, scholarship and creative work going on every day at CU Boulder,” said Scott Adler, dean of CU Boulder’s Graduate School. "I want to congratulate our graduate faculty, our graduate students and the staff members who support both for maintaining this legacy of excellence.”

A handful of other CU Boulder schools, colleges, departments and programs are ranked in the top 25 nationally for graduate-level offerings in the categories of: speech-language pathology (20); civil engineering (20); biological/agricultural engineering (21); computer engineering (22); fine arts program (23); and chemistry (24).

 Read more from the College of Engineering and Applied Science and the Leeds School of Business, including a breakdown of these rankings among our public university peers.

Current graduate rankings by U.S. News and World Report

Education, 34
    Education policy, 12
Engineering, 26
    Aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical, 10
    Biological/agricultural, 21
    Biomedical, 45
    Chemical, 14
    Civil, 20
    Computer, 22
    Electrical/electronic/communications, 37 
    Environmental/environmental health, 14
    Materials, 40 
    Mechanical, 29
Law, 48 
    Business-corporate law, 44
    Constitutional law, 46
    Contract-commercial law, 45
    Criminal law, 36
    Environmental, 10
    Health care, 66
    Intellectual property, 33
    International, 62
    Tax, 39
    Trial advocacy, 79 
    Legal writing, 80
    Dispute resolution, 77
    Clinical training, 79
Business, 74
    Part-time MBA, 35
Biological sciences, 33
Chemistry, 24
    Physical, 10
Computer science, 40
Earth sciences, 19
Mathematics, 47
Applied mathematics, 14
Physics, 14
    Atomic/molecular/optical, 2
    Quantum, 6
Economics, 50
English, 46
History, 43
Political science, 46
Psychology, 26
Sociology, 34
    Sociology of population, 17
Audiology, 14
Clinical psychology, 10
Fine arts program, 23
Speech-language pathology, 20