U.S. News & World Report 2026 Rankings Highlight UAlbany Graduate Programs
By Amy Geduldig
ALBANY, N.Y. (Apr. 9, 2026) — The newly released 2026 Best Graduate School rankings by U.S. News & World Report continue to highlight the University at Albany’s strength across a range of disciplines, reflecting the University’s commitment to academic excellence, research and student success.
UAlbany received strong placements in degree programs, such as public affairs, library studies, science, education, engineering, public health and social welfare—areas that align closely with the University’s mission to address societal challenges through research and public engagement.
“The University at Albany is proud to be a place where every student is empowered with an education that not only prepares them to thrive in their careers but also inspires them to actively shape and serve their communities,” said Havidán Rodríguez, president of the University at Albany. “Our nationally recognized graduate programs equip students to lead with purpose in areas such as public affairs, information technology, homeland security, library studies, education, health, business, social welfare and more. The latest rankings from U.S. News and World Report highlight the commitment of our world-class faculty, the ambition of our students and our deep-rooted mission to advance the public good.”
Recognized as one of the country’s top public affairs schools, UAlbany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy earned the No. 31 spot this year. The University received high marks in six public affairs specialties:
- 5th in Information and Technology
- 5th in Homeland Security
- 16th in Public Management & Leadership
- 27th in Local Government Management
- 20th in Nonprofit Management
- 23rd in Public Finance and Budgeting
The Information Science program in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity continues to be nationally recognized in the field of Library Studies, placing No. 29.
In the College of Integrated Health Sciences, the School of Social Welfare remained among the top programs in the country at No. 43 nationally and second among SUNY schools, while its Public Health program was ranked No. 74. Biostatistics was also featured on the list this year, coming in at No. 65.
Science programs were also highlighted in this year’s rankings with several programs in the College of Arts and Sciences featured in the list. Chemistry — which recently celebrated alum Omar Yaghi winning the Nobel Prize — was ranked No. 118 nationally. Earth Science and Mathematics were both ranked No. 114, Physics was listed at No. 113 and Clinical Psychology at No. 59.
Several other programs also earned national recognition: The School of Education was second among SUNY schools at No. 84; The Massry School of Business was ranked No. 118 for its MBA program and also rose 10 spots to No. 133 for its part-time MBA program; The College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering was among the nation’s top 150 schools, with its program in Computer Science ranked at No. 115.
U.S. News ranks a rotating list of graduate school programs each year based on measures such as expert opinion about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research and students and their post-graduate outcomes. Read the specific methodology for each program for more detailed information.
UAlbany is regularly ranked as one of the top public colleges in the nation. The U.S. News 2026 “Best Colleges” rankings, published last September, listed UAlbany at No. 63 nationally among public institutions and No. 127 nationally overall. The University was also recognized by U.S. News as a top performer in social mobility, at No. 22 nationally and within the top 10 percent of all ranked institutions.