Education Program Rankings Methodology

Graduate programs at 279 schools granting doctoral degrees were surveyed in fall 2010 and early 2011; 252 responded, and 251 provided data needed to calculate rankings based on a weighted average of these 10 measures. All schools are listed in the online directory. 

[See the Best Education Schools rankings.] 

Quality assessment (weighted by .40) 

Peer Assessment Score (.25) In the fall of 2010, education school deans and deans of graduate studies at education schools 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 46 percent of those surveyed responded. 

Superintendent Assessment Score (.15) In the fall of 2010, 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 15 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 weighted 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 2010-2011 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 2010-2011 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 2010-2011 academic year. 

Faculty Resources (weighted by .12) 

Student-Faculty Ratio (.045) The 2010 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 2009 and 2010. For the second year in row, the Percent of Faculty With Awards' indicator in the 2012 edition of the rankings used a more comprehensive list of Education related awards and journals adapted from a survey of deans from the Association of American Universities (AAU) and Council of Academic Deans from Research Education Institutions (CADREI) conducted for U.S. News by a committee of AAU Deans of Education. U.S. News believes that this is a truly more comprehensive list. 

Doctoral Degrees Granted (.05) Ratio of the number of doctoral degrees awarded in the past school year (2009-2010) to the number of full-time faculty members in 2009-2010. 

Research Activity (weighted by .30) 

Total Research Expenditures (.15) The total education-school research expenditures averaged over the two fiscal years 2009 and 2010. 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 the two fiscal years 2009 and 2010. Expenditures refer to separately funded research, public and private, conducted by the school.