Knuth

Cornell University had seven of its graduate engineering specialties recognized as among the top 10 in U.S. News and World Report's 2013 rankings of "America's Best Graduate Schools." For the third year running, the magazine ranked Cornell's graduate engineering, overall, as the 10th best in the nation.

The report was released March 13. Several other Cornell schools and individual areas ranked among the top 20.

Within engineering, U.S. News ranked the specialties of biological/agricultural at No. 3; civil, 8; computer, 9; electrical/electronic/communications, 9; mechanical, 9; industrial/manufacturing, 10; and materials, 10.

Four engineering specialties ranked among the top 20: aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical, No. 11; environmental/environmental health, 12; biomedical/bioengineering, 15; and chemical, 17.

Cornell's MFA degree program in the visual arts scored No. 36, climbing 14 spots from 2008, the last time the program was ranked by U.S. News.

The university's public affairs graduate program ranked No. 37, down one notch from 2008. Within public affairs disciplines, the public-policy analysis program rose 8 spots from 2008 to No. 24.

"On behalf of the Graduate School, I congratulate the programs that were recognized for the strength and breadth of their research and scholarship in U.S. News and World Report's rankings," said Barbara Knuth, vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, which grants all Cornell graduate degrees except those granted by Cornell's law, business, veterinary and medical schools.

Cornell Law School ranked No. 14, down one notch from last year. Its international law program also tallied a No. 14 ranking.

The Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management's MBA program ranked No. 16, the same as last year. Johnson's executive MBA program and management program both scored No. 13; production/operations, 19; finance, 23; and accounting, 24.

Weill Cornell Medical College rated No. 16 among research medical schools, up from No. 17 last year. Weill Cornell was also ranked No. 57 among primary care medical schools, climbing 23 spots from No. 80 in 2011. Among the medical subspecialties, Weill Cornell's internal medicine program ranked No. 18.

The rankings are based on analysis of expert opinions about program excellence and statistical indicators of the quality of a school's faculty, research and students. Data are culled from surveys conducted in fall 2011 and early 2012 of more than 1,200 programs and nearly 15,000 academics and professionals.

Rankings of programs in the sciences, social sciences, humanities and many other areas are based solely on the ratings of academic experts.

U.S. News does not rank all disciplines every year. Categories in which Cornell has typically had a strong showing -- including veterinary medicine, history, psychology, sociology, economics, political science and English -- were not ranked this year.