Other rankings include the nuclear physics program, which placed No. 1 for the third year in a row. The programs of industrial/organizational psychology and African history held their positions from last year, ranking No. 1 and No. 3, respectively.

“For almost a decade before we were No. 1 (in nuclear physics), we were No. 2 before (the) Massachusetts Institute of Technology. … I said, ‘It was just a popularity contest, it’s not scientific,’” said Wolfgang Bauer, chairman of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

“Ever since we’ve become No. 1, I’ve totally changed my mind.”

The College of Law jumped 13 spots from 2011, now ranking No. 82. However, programs in environmental engineering and speech-language pathology fell more than 10 spots from last year.

Karen Klomparens, dean of the MSU Graduate School, said MSU has a long history of quality programs.

“I was very happy to see the number of programs, and I think we already know from the inside that we’re already good,” she said.

Considering the College of Education’s streak of success for more than a decade, Klomparens said once a program has a good reputation, those rankings don’t tend to change year after year.

Such national reputation is built by hardworking faculty and students who produce high-quality research, said Donald Heller, dean of the College of Education. But there’s always room for improvement, he said.

“Of course, once you get a No. 1, you can’t get any higher than that — the mathematicians will confirm that for you,” Heller said, noting continued success will come from a strong curriculum, diverse faculty and engaged students.

The faculty at MSU was just one of the reasons Tim Hodge chose the university to continue his studies, he said. The agricultural, food and resource economics graduate student said not every school provides the program he’s taking, but there is a solid network at MSU to learn and grow within the field.

The U.S. News & World Report did not rank Hodge’s particular program, but the College of Social Science’s economics program ranked and held steady from last year at No. 31.

“Collaborative efforts really are important,” Hodge said. “My big thing was the people here but also knowing there was an area of people doing research that I wanted to do.”

Council of Graduate Students President Stefan Fletcher said for MSU to rank highly in a national publication that could be seen by prospective students, there is a sense of pride.

“It’s a sign that MSU has invested in graduate professional education, and we want to continue to strengthen that area of the university,” he said.

For a full list of graduate school rankings, visit usnews.com/rankings.