In its just published 2014 list of the top graduate school of education in the country, U.S. News & World Reports ranked UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School number 40. That ranking is an impressive leap of 23 spots from last year; the graduate school ranks number 29 among public universities.
“This significant jump in the rankings is a wonderful recognition for the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education,” says Gale Morrison, the graduate school’s acting dean. “Under [Dean] Jane Conoley’s leadership, the faculty has continued the tradition of excellence in research, service to the wider education community, and quality preparation of professionals in education, teacher education, and counseling, clinical, and school psychology.”
Improvement on indicators are clear. For example, the Gevirtz School’s ratings are higher from peers in other graduate programs (up to 3.4 from 3.2 a year ago [on a scale of 5]) and from superintendents (up to 4.5 from 4.2 a year ago [on a scale of 5]). The school’s funded research/faculty member figure rose from $83.8 to $97.5 (figures in the thousands).
The U.S. News rankings are based on a weighted average of various measures, some specific to the particular program. The rankings generally include an assessment by peers, with measures of faculty quality and resources, student selectivity, research activity, and several other factors. Highlights of the graduate school rankings are included in the current issue of U.S. News & World Report, and in the 2014 edition of “America’s Best Graduate Schools,” as well as on the magazine’s website.