Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy remains one of the nation’s top graduate schools in public affairs, according to U.S. News and World Report’s latest list of “Best Graduate Schools.”
Sanford ranks #6 in its core specialty, public policy analysis, which is considered the key indicator of quality Master of Public Policy (MPP) programs among schools of public policy.
Sanford also ranks in the top 10 in each of its three core policy areas. The school ranks #3 in Environmental Policy and Management, #5 in Health Policy and Management, and #6 in Social Policy, which rose from #12 last year. Environmental Policy and Management and Health Policy and Management are available as MPP concentrations.
Interim Dean Manoj Mohanan said the rankings reflect Sanford’s strength across the policy areas that matter most to the complex challenges facing communities in the United States and around the world. “To be ranked in the top 10 in all of our core policy areas speaks to the excellence of our faculty, the talent of our students, and our commitment to preparing leaders who can turn rigorous analysis into meaningful public impact,” Mohanan said.
Vicki Bogan, director of graduate studies of the MPP program, said the rankings highlight the breadth and quality of the Sanford experience. “Our students benefit from exceptional training in policy analysis while also having the flexibility to pursue specialized interests across environmental, health, and social policy,” Bogan said. “We are proud to offer a collaborative community where students can build the analytical skills, practical experience, and sense of purpose needed for public service careers.”
In all, Sanford offers seven MPP concentrations. Concentrations not included in the U.S. News ranking include education policy and international development. Sanford is not eligible for specialty rankings in technology policy or national security policy. Students in the MPP program can also choose a generalist public policy analysis program that maximizes Duke’s interdisciplinary, experiential education.
Sanford offers the Master of Public Policy (MPP), the Master of International Development Policy (MIDP), an executive Master of National Security Policy (MNSP), an executive hybrid Master of Public Affairs (MPA), and a number of dual degrees.
Every Sanford program has a global perspective, faculty with high research productivity, and a strong alumni network worldwide.
The U.S. News rankings are based on opinion surveys of deans, directors, and department chairs at schools of public affairs and administration nationwide. For specialty areas such as public policy analysis, academics are asked to nominate up to 15 programs for excellence. The lists of schools, individuals surveyed, and names of specialty areas evaluated are provided by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) and the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM).
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