Thirty-two MSU programs were ranked among the best in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's yearly evaluation of graduate programs.
The elementary and secondary education programs ranked first in the nation for the 11th consecutive year.
One reason for the high score is the faculty research done at the college, said Cassandra Book, associate dean of the College of Education.
"Faculty brings cutting-edge knowledge to the students," Book said. "We're influencing the field. Others look to us to see what's going on. Our students are the firsthand recipients of the research."
U.S. News & World Report uses surveys to measure programs based on expert opinion. Statistics on strengths of the faculty, research and students were also used to compile the results. Last fall, almost 1,300 programs were surveyed to create this year's report.
Primary care, in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, moved up in the rankings from 15th to ninth. The college has moved both up and down in previous years, but it has stayed within the top 25.
"I'm happy about it, but I don't jump up and down and sing and dance because, if we're 15 next year, I think we're just as good as four or nine," said William Strampel, dean of the college.
The college continually works to grow stronger, he said.
"If you're not trying to improve on everything you do, then you're not fulfilling your function in life," Strampel said. "In medicine, we try to do everything we do better than the last time we did it. If you don't have that culture, you're missing the boat."
The MSU College of Law moved from tier four to tier three this year. Tier three law schools have entering students with higher credentials than tier four schools, said Terence Blackburn, dean of the law school.
The increased prestige that comes with a tier three law school will help graduating students find jobs, Blackburn said.
"It's going to mean that there will be more employers willing to look at students coming out of the school," he said. "We don't believe the rankings ever adequately express the quality of any school, but nevertheless, employers look at this."
