Sixteen graduate programs at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa have been nationally recognized for academic and research excellence, according to the 2023–24 U.S. News and World Report’s Best Graduate Schools rankings, released on April 25.
Seven programs were ranked in the nation’s top 100, and five placed in the top 75. The School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) ranked No. 42 for its earth sciences doctoral programs, the Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing placed No. 49 for its doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program and No. 60 for best master’s nursing programs, the College of Education ranked No. 64 and the College of Social Sciences placed No. 72 in public affairs for its Public Administration Program.
“At a time when many prospective graduate students are deciding which institution they will attend in the fall, these rankings demonstrate that UH Mānoa is home to world-class academic programs across a vast range of disciplines,” UH Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno said. “The consistent national recognition of Mānoa’s excellence over the years is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, faculty and staff.”
The rankings are based on two types of data: expert opinion about program excellence, and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students.
Note: not all programs are ranked every year. See these UH News stories on previous years’ rankings: 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019.
Jump to program rankings:
School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology | Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing | College of Education | College of Social Sciences | Shidler College of Business | College of Engineering | Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health | College of Natural Sciences
School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
The Department of Earth Sciences in SOEST placed No. 42 out of 166 earth sciences doctoral programs considered. Students in the PhD program gain advanced knowledge, develop professional skills and learn cutting-edge methodologies through specialized coursework and by conducting research.
Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing
UH Mānoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing’s DNP program placed No. 49 among 169 schools considered in the newest U.S. News ranking. UH Mānoa nursing is the only Hawaiʻi DNP program ranked by U.S. News since 2018. UH Mānoa nursing also placed No. 60 out of 184 schools for best master’s nursing programs.
College of Education
The College of Education (COE) ranked No. 64 of 272 schools considered, the 18th straight year the college has been listed as one of the nation’s top 100 education programs. Nationally accredited since 2000, COE continues to be recognized for its award-winning programs and people.
College of Social Sciences
The Public Administration Program in the College of Social Sciences ranked No. 72, up 16 spots from the previous year, out of 269 graduate programs considered. The ranking puts the program in the top third of all master’s of public administration programs in the country. The master’s of public administration program is the only one accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration in the state, and offers an 18-month accelerated, two-year full-time and three-year part-time plan.
Shidler College of Business
The Shidler College of Business rose 12 spots from last year to No. 77 out of 149 schools considered in the full-time master of business administration (MBA) category. Shidler’s MBA programs are the only Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International accredited MBA programs in Hawaiʻi and among the few MBA programs in the U.S. with a true Asia-Pacific focus.
College of Engineering
Four College of Engineering graduate programs were ranked among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News. Civil engineering ranked No. 90; electrical engineering placed No. 112; and mechanical engineering ranked No. 124. The College of Engineering ranked in No. 168 among the top engineering schools in the U.S. that grant doctoral degrees.
Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health
The Office of Public Health Studies (OPHS) ranked No. 105 out of 206 public health schools and programs in the U.S. accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. OPHS offers a bachelor in arts in public health; a master in public health, with specializations in epidemiology, health policy and management, Native Hawaiian and Indigenous health and social and behavioral health sciences, and a master of science specializing in epidemiology, as well as PhD program in public health, specializing in community-based and translational research and a PhD in epidemiology. OPHS is also home to a recently launched online master of public health program to meet workforce demands.
College of Natural Sciences
Graduate programs in the College of Natural Sciences were ranked by U.S. News, including physics at No. 105, mathematics at No. 125, computer science at No. 139 and chemistry at No. 161.
Law and medical school rankings were expected to be released, however, according to U.S. News and World Report, due to an unprecedented number of inquiries from schools during the initial embargo period and verification of publicly available data, the updated 2023–24 Best Medical Schools and 2023–24 Best Law Schools rankings embargo and publication will be released at a later date.
For a full list of rankings, visit the Mānoa Institutional Research Office website.
—By Marc Arakaki
