Education Program Rankings Methodology

Graduate programs at 278 schools granting doctoral degrees in education were surveyed in fall 2008 and early 2009. Of those schools, 241 responded; 238 provided the data needed to calculate rankings based on a weighted average of the 11 quality measures described here. All schools are listed in the online directory.

Quality assessment (weighted by .40)

Peer Assessment Score (.25) In the fall of 2008, education school deans and education school deans of graduate studies were asked to rate programs on a scale from "marginal" (1) to "outstanding" (5). Those individuals who did not know enough about a school to evaluate it fairly were asked to mark "don't know." A school's score is the average of all the respondents who rated it. Responses of "don't know" counted neither for nor against a school. About 47 percent of those surveyed responded.

Superintendent Assessment Score (.15) In the fall of 2008, school superintendents nationwide in a sampling of school districts were asked to rate programs on a scale from "marginal" (1) to "outstanding" (5). Those individuals who did not know enough about a school to evaluate it fairly were asked to mark "don't know." A school's score is the average of all the respondents who rated it. Responses of "don't know" counted neither for nor against a school. About 24 percent of those surveyed responded. For the purpose of calculating this year's rankings, the two most recent years' superintendents' survey results were averaged and are weighed by .15.

Student Selectivity (weighted by .18)

Mean GRE Verbal Scores (.06) The mean verbal score of the Graduate Record Examination for doctoral students entering in the 2008-2009 academic year. Where mean GRE verbal scores are not available for entering doctoral students, mean GRE verbal scores for all entering graduate students are substituted, if available.

Mean GRE Quantitative Scores (.06) The mean quantitative score of the Graduate Record Examination for doctoral students entering in the 2008-2009 academic year. Where mean GRE quantitative scores are not available for entering doctoral students, mean GRE quantitative scores for all entering graduate students are substituted, if available.

Acceptance Rate (.06) The proportion of applicants to the doctoral program who were offered admission for the 2008-2009 academic year.

Faculty Resources (weighted by .12)

Student-Faculty Ratio (.045) The 2008 ratio of all full-time equivalent doctoral students to full-time faculty.

Percent of Faculty With Awards (.025) The average percentage of the full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty that held awards or editorships among selected education journals in 2007 and 2008.

Doctoral Degrees Granted (.05) Ratio of the number of doctoral degrees awarded in the past school year 2007-2008 to the number of full-time faculty members in 2007-2008.

Research Activity (weighted by .30)

Total Research Expenditures (.15) The total education-school research expenditures averaged over fiscal years 2007 and 2008. Expenditures refer to separately funded research, public and private, conducted by the school.

Average Expenditures Per Faculty Member (.15) The average research expenditures per full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty member averaged over fiscal years 2007 and 2008. Expenditures refer to separately funded research, public and private, conducted by the school.

Overall Rank: Data were standardized about their means, and standardized scores were weighted, totaled, and rescaled so that the top school received 100; other schools received their percentage of the top score.

Specialty Rankings: Specialty ratings are based solely on nominations by education school deans and education school deans of graduate studies from the list of schools surveyed. They selected up to 10 top programs in each area. Those schools receiving the most votes in each specialty are listed.