Eight of Cornell’s graduate engineering fields, three computer science specialties and five other science areas were ranked in the top 10 in U.S. News and World Reports’ 2015 “Best Graduate Schools,” released March 11. In a special category, Cornell Law School earned the top spot for its diverse student body.

Topping the engineering categories was biological/agricultural at No. 4, followed by materials (6), industrial/manufacturing/systems (7), computer (8), mechanical (8), civil (9), aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical (9) and electrical/electronic/communications (10). The university’s overall engineering ranking remained at No. 13. Three other engineering areas were in the top 20: environmental/environmental health engineering (11), biomedical engineering/bioengineering (15) and chemical (18).

Each year U.S. News surveys graduate programs in the areas of engineering, law, business, medicine and education. Peer assessment data in other areas, such as social sciences and humanities, is collected on a rotating basis, according to the U.S. News website. For the new rankings, peer surveys were conducted for Ph.D. programs in some of the science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) fields.

Among all computer science programs, Cornell ranked No. 6. Programming language and computer theory were both ranked No. 6, and artificial intelligence was No. 9.

For physics, Cornell was No. 7, with a No. 6 ranking in the condensed matter specialty. Chemistry was ranked No. 10.

In biological sciences, Cornell was No. 11, with ecology/evolutionary biology coming in at No. 2. The Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences’ biological sciences program ranked No. 26.

Also making the rankings were mathematics (13), earth sciences (16) and statistics (24).

“Cornell is one of the top faculty-producing research institutions in the country and a top source of experts and innovators in industry, business, government and nonprofit positions. Today’s U.S. News and World Report rankings are evidence of the breadth of Cornell’s system of graduate education and a testament to the excellence of our faculty and students,” said Barbara Knuth, vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, which grants all graduate degrees except those given by Cornell’s law, business, veterinary medicine and medical schools.

In the professional schools, Weill Cornell Medical College moved up one spot from last year, to No. 15 among research medical schools. The Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management’s MBA program earned a No. 17 ranking, down one spot. Cornell Law School remained at No. 13.

U.S. News also identified law schools where students are most likely to encounter classmates from a different racial or ethnic group, according to the website. Cornell Law School ranked No. 1 as the most diverse law school in the country, based on the total proportion of full- and part-time minority J.D. students – not including international students – and the mix of racial and ethnic groups on campus during the 2013-14 academic year.

“Cornell Law School is proud of its commitment to diversity. We recognize that our students, who are among the best law students in the nation, come from a variety of backgrounds,” said Stewart J. Schwab, the Allan R. Tessler Dean of Cornell Law School. “Cornell wholeheartedly embraces this diversity. We believe that a vital, diverse student body enhances the education of every law student and better prepares them to serve in a multiethnic, multicultural society.”