UM-Flint graduate programs earn national recognition from U.S. News & World Report

Today, the U.S. News & World Report released its 2026 Best Graduate Schools rankings. The University of Michigan-Flint had a showing with a number of programs appearing on the list, including:

• Nurse anesthesia (No. 60, up 20 spots from 2025)
• Physical therapy (No. 87, up 18 spots)
• Supply chain logistics (No. 122, new entry)
• Occupational therapy (No. 125, up 26 spots)
• Part-time MBA (No. 133, up 10 spots)
• Finance (No. 170, new entry) 
• Management (No. 192, new entry)
• Accounting (No. 288, new entry)

In overall rankings – those taking the field as a whole rather than focusing on sub-disciplines – UM-Flint's Public Health (No. 122) and Education (No. 234) programs each garnered attention as well.

"These rankings underscore the impact of programs designed to meet critical workforce needs," said Abby Parrill-Baker, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. "Our students benefit from close faculty mentorship as well as immersive clinical experiences that allow for growth in both the classroom and experientially. That combination prepares our graduates to make an immediate difference for themselves and their communities across Michigan and beyond."

U.S. News & World Report's graduate school rankings combine quantitative data and expert opinion to assess program quality across disciplines. Metrics typically include faculty and research strength, student selectivity and outcomes such as graduation rates and employment numbers, along with reputation surveys from academic and industry leaders. These factors are weighted differently by field and combined into an overall score used to compare programs within their respective disciplines.

Today's rankings reflect only those for 12 disciplines selected by U.S. News & World Report, including public affairs, public health, audiology, health care management, nursing anesthesia, nursing midwifery, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, rehabilitation counseling, speech language pathology, and computer science.

Disciplines excluded from the rankings included biological sciences, biostatistics, chemistry, earth sciences, mathematics, physics, statistics, clinical psychology, veterinary medicine, and fine arts.