Best graduate school rankings spotlight wide range of programs

The annual best graduate school rankings from U.S. News and World Report have expanded for 2026 to once again cover Master of Fine Arts degrees. The 2026 rankings also spotlights the best programs in medicine, law, business, nursing, education and engineering.

The list is compiled to help students make more informed decisions, U.S. News says. Though there was some some shuffling among the top spots, many schools that featured on last year’s rankings returned in 2026.

Here’s the list:

Best Business Schools: MBA

1. Stanford University
2. University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
3. University of Chicago (Booth)

Best Law Schools

1.  Stanford University
2. Tie: University of Chicago and Yale University

Best Education Schools

1. University of Wisconsin–Madison
2. Tie: Northwestern University, University of Florida, University of Michigan

Best Engineering Schools

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2. Stanford University
3. University of California, Berkeley

Best Nursing Schools: Master’s Programs

1. Emory University
2. Johns Hopkins University
3. Tie: Duke University and Ohio State University

Best Nursing Schools: DNP Programs

1. Johns Hopkins University
2. Emory University
3. Rush University

Best Fine Arts Schools: Master’s (MFA)

1. Yale University
2. Tie: Carnegie Mellon University, Rhode Island School of Design, UCLA, Virginia Commonwealth University

Best Medical Schools: Research

The top tier: Baylor College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Emory University, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine (Alix), Ohio State University, University of California – Los Angeles (Geffen), University of California–San Diego, University of California–San Francisco, University of Colorado, University of Florida, University of Pittsburgh, University of Rochester, University of South Florida (Morsani), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Vanderbilt University, Yale University.

Best Medical Schools: Primary Care

The top tier:: Dartmouth College (Geisel), East Carolina University (Brody), Saint Louis University, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, University of California – Davis, University of California–San Diego, University of California–San Francisco, University of Hawaii – Manoa (Burns), University of Kansas Medical Center, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of New Mexico, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Western University of Health Sciences, William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine.