The Yale School of Public Health rose three places – from 14th to 11th – in the latest national rankings for schools of public health released this week by U.S. News & World Report. YSPH’s 2022 position just outside the top 10 schools in the country is the school’s best ranking ever and marks the single largest jump in the school’s ranking in more than a decade.
Joining YSPH in the 11th spot were George Washington University and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in what amounted to a three-way tie.
For the first time, U.S. News also published a ranking of the Best Biostatistics Programs, evaluating 65 programs across the country. YSPH’s Biostatistics program came in 13th as part of a five-way tie with Brown, Vanderbilt, Duke and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
The 2022 rankings for public health schools are based solely on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to deans, other administrators or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools in the fall of 2021 and early 2022. Respondents were asked to rate the academic quality of public health programs on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding). A school’s ranking is based on an average of those individual scores.
In determining the 2022 rankings, U.S. News surveyed 195 public health schools and programs accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health or CEPH. The response rate among those surveyed was 34.1%.
Rankings for biostatistics programs were based solely on the results of surveys sent to academic officials in the fall of 2021 and early 2022. Individuals were asked to evaluate a program on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 representing the highest score. Those unfamiliar with a program were advised to select “don’t know.” The American Statistical Association provided U.S. News with a list of qualified programs. The biostatistics survey response rate was 59.1%.
The U.S. News & World Report has been surveying and ranking college programs since 1983. While some have criticized the survey and ranking methodology, the rankings continue to serve as a general resource for students interested in furthering their education.
The last time YSPH’s ranking increased three positions was in 2011, when the school’s position jumped from 16th to 13th. The U.S. News used to rank public health schools every four years. It started ranking them yearly in 2021.