WMU grad programs ranked among nation's best by U.S. News

Contact: Cheryl Roland
Photo of WMU OT student with a patient.

WMU's Kalamazoo-based occupational therapy program is ranked at No. 32 nationally, making it the state's highest ranking program in that discipline.

KALAMAZOO, Mich.— The latest annual U.S. News & World Report ranking of the top graduate programs in the nation shows Western Michigan University with eight programs ranked among the top 100 in their disciplines, four in the top 50 and two programs assessed as the best of their kind in Michigan.

In the latest round of rankings released March 14, WMU's occupational therapy program based in Kalamazoo is ranked at No. 32 nationally, making it the state's highest ranking program in that discipline. The University's speech language pathology program, at No. 46 nationally, is tied for recognition as that discipline's best such program in Michigan.

Top programs

WMU graduate programs ranked among the nation's top 100 are:

  • Occupational therapy, Kalamazoo—No. 32
  • Rehabilitation counseling—No. 37
  • Speech-language pathology—No. 46
  • Audiology—No. 48
  • Physician assistant—No. 57
  • Occupational therapy, Grand Rapids—No. 58
  • Social work—No. 71
  • Online College of Education and Human Development programs—No. 92

Seven of WMU's top-100 programs are part of the University's celebrated College of Health and Human Services. The eighth top-100 designation is in the College of Education and Human Development, the University's founding program.

Another seven WMU graduate programs also are highly ranked among programs offered by the nation's more than 650 colleges and universities that confer master's and doctoral degrees. The additional ranked WMU programs are in: earth sciences/geosciences (113), public affairs (115), English (116), education (120), history (125), art (131), and clinical psychology (135).

A special online ranking offered by U.S. News this year assesses the relative diversity of the nation's law schools. The WMU Cooley Law School is tied with three other law schools for the No. 21 spot in the nation, and is ranked by a wide margin as the most diverse law school in Michigan.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.