After five years of reimagining education, The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Education achieved the highest ranking among graduate schools at UT Austin after rising two positions in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Graduate Schools Rankings to be named #6 among both public and private institutions.
COE also maintained its #4 position among public schools for a second year, according to the recently released ranking. In the program-specific categories, six of COE’s eight programs that receive a ranking from U.S. News & World Report were ranked among the top 10 across the country, with Educational Administration and Supervision soaring to the #3 spot nationally.
This ranking is an important indicator of our impact, our commitment to reimagining education and health, the excellence of our faculty and the work that our graduates are doing to change the world,
said Charles Martinez, Dean of the College of Education at UT Austin.
Among the elements considered to rank colleges are research expenditures and reputation. He said in recognizing the impact of the work done and the faculty who are doing it, his hope is that this will also encourage recruitment of world-class researchers ready to change the world.
There are no limits to what we are capable of in this college,
Martinez said. Our faculty are engaged in work that is addressing the most pressing challenges in our fields. It is important to note that our rankings reinforce that focus, and then direct our gaze toward how we can leverage this impact to serve the future needs of students, families, schools and communities.
The rankings come as this year marks five years since the College of Education embarked on its signature vision plan, Reimagine Education, which sought to address three key impact areas—eliminating disparities in education and health, attending to place and context and thriving through transitions.
According to Martinez, this ranking is an affirmation that the college is moving in the right direction.
This is not a moment to redirect ourselves,
Martinez said. We are clearly making a difference and this is just one of the ways we see that. Most importantly, our impact across Texas among our students is clearly visible in our five-year data. Together, these elements reinforce that we are on the right path and they put more urgency on us to deliver what we started.
As for leading UT’s graduate rankings, Martinez said this recognition is especially important in elevating the work of COE faculty and students among the college’s vastly talented peers across the University. Martinez said his hope is that this will draw more attention from the talented students applying to UT to consider the difference they could make at the College of Education.
We are showing that as a college we are delivering the talent our state and communities need into the workforce,
Martinez said. Our students in the College of Education know they are being prepared to change lives. It signals to our University community and beyond that this work matters—community impact and serving others matters.
Looking to the future, Martinez said the college carries the responsibility that comes with being viewed as a leading education institution with care and determination of what COE can accomplish in years to come.
I think that it holds our feet to the fire,
Martinez said. We provide a model in a turbulent time for what excellence looks like. As a leading College of Education, we have a responsibility to lead and deliver research and practices that have a lasting impact.
College of Education USNWR specialty rankings:
- No. 3 in Educational Administration and Supervision
- No. 8 in Educational Psychology
- No. 6 in Special Education
- No. 10 in Education Policy
- No. 11 in Elementary Teacher Education
- No. 10 in Secondary Teacher Education
- No. 10 in Curriculum & Instruction
- No. 12 in Higher Education Administration
In the National Academy of Kinesiology’s most recent rankings, COE’s Kinesiology and Health Education program also achieved a notable position, sitting at #9 nationally.
