The University of Washington School of Public Health (UW SPH) continues to offer some of the best public health graduate education in the country, according to the 2024 rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. UW SPH ranked No. 7 among public health graduate schools and remains among the top 3 public schools in the annual rankings.
UW SPH tied with Boston University for No. 7. The School’s programs also ranked highly, with five programs in the top 15: biostatistics (No. 7), environmental health sciences (No. 7), epidemiology (No. 9), health policy and management (No. 14), and social behavior (No. 14).
The rankings of public health schools and programs are based on opinion surveys that are sent to deans, program directors, and other peers. Learn more about U.S. News’ methodology here.
The UW School of Law and the UW School of Medicine withdrew from the U.S. News rankings in 2022 and 2023, respectively, citing concerns that some of the methodology in the rankings for those specific disciplines incentivize actions and policies that run counter to the schools’ public service missions.
UW leaders continue to work with U.S. News and other ranking organizations — to the extent they are open to it — to improve their methodologies. And schools, colleges and departments continually reevaluate the benefits and potential shortfalls of participating in specific rankings.
This past year, UW SPH ranked No. 5 in the world on the Global Rankings of Academic Subjects lists for 2023, a widely used ranking conducted by researchers at the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy.
2020 marked the 50th anniversary of the UW School of Public Health. The School opened in 1970, becoming the first school of public health in the Pacific Northwest, and grew rapidly in the 1970s and ‘80s to become a research powerhouse and sought-after training destination.
The School houses five departments, four interdisciplinary programs, and more than 30 centers and institutes. The School’s 11,000+ alumni work to improve the health and well-being of communities in Washington state and around the world.