Bloomington Leader

Indiana University (IU) continues to lead Indiana's universities in graduate program rankings according to the 2025-26 U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings. IU boasts the highest number of top 10 and top 20 graduate program placements in the state.

The O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs’ Master of Public Affairs program in Bloomington maintains its second overall position. "IU has a lot to be proud of when it comes to our graduate programs," said IU President Pamela Whitten. She emphasized the role of dedicated faculty in shaping programs that offer "exceptional academic opportunities and professional training."

O’Neill’s programs in environmental policy and management, public finance and budgeting, public management and leadership, and nonprofit management continue to rank first. Notably, the nonprofit management specialty holds the top rank at the Bloomington campus and second at the Indianapolis campus. This year, U.S. News did not update rankings in public affairs specialty programs.

Overall, 13 specialties at the O’Neill School are in the top 20. Eight specialties from Bloomington rank in the top 10, and five from both campuses are placed in the top 20. "Year after year, O’Neill ranks as one of the top two public affairs schools," said O’Neill School Dean Siân Mooney, highlighting the school's expert faculty and experiential programs that prepare students to lead for the greater good.

Rankings are based on statistical and reputational data from U.S. colleges and universities. The full list is available on U.S. News and World Report’s website. IU Bloomington Provost Rahul Shrivastav commented, "These rankings demonstrate IU Bloomington’s commitment to providing our students with a meaningful education that prepares them for jobs that change our communities for the better."

The Kelley School of Business in Bloomington is ranked seventh among public universities and 22nd overall, with seven graduate specialties in the top 20, including accounting, entrepreneurship, and part-time MBA. The IU School of Education in Bloomington received high accolades with four specialties in the top 10, continuing to excel in best curriculum and instruction programs.

Other ranked IU programs include audiology, clinical psychology, sociology, and speech-language pathology at the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering's Department of Library and Information Studies. Additionally, the IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law's legal writing specialty in Indianapolis ranks 17th, and the Master of Health Administration program at Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health is 19th for health care management.