VCU School of Education Climbs Two Spots to #16 Nationally in 2024-2025
U.S. News & World Report Rankings (public) &
Ranks 19th Nationally as Best Special Education Programs (overall)
April 9, 2024
In a remarkable achievement, Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Education has advanced to 16th among public schools of education in the 2024-2025 U.S. News & World Report Rankings, marking a notable improvement from its previous rank of 18th. This significant rise underscores the school's dedication to academic excellence and its growing reputation as a top-tier institution.
Additionally, the VCU School of Education debuted in special education rankings for the first time, ranking 19th nationally among Best Public Special Education Programs. This top-20 ranking highlights the school's commitment to providing high-quality preparation for special educators and further solidifies its position as a research leader in inclusive education.
"The VCU School of Education continues to climb in the rankings, including the U.S. News & World Report rankings, through unrelenting attention to excellence in research, teaching, and inclusion," said Kathleen Rudasill, Ph.D., interim dean of the VCU School of Education. "Congratulations to our faculty, staff, students, alums, and community supporters for being recognized with a ranking in the top 5.5% of the 456 schools surveyed by U.S. News and World Report with the resulting achievement of 25th Best School of Education (tie)."
"Our research accomplishments are particularly impressive. We have achieved and maintained the #1 ranking in Virginia and #9 in the nation in terms of our funded research expenditure per faculty member. We reported $975,000 per faculty member in research funding. In FY23, we generated $40.1 million in external funding, an all-time high for the School. This incredible level of grant funding means that our students have more opportunities to do meaningful research work with our communities, giving them real-world experiences to prepare them for the future," said Rudasill.
U.S. News evaluates the best education schools based on "research activity, academic excellence of entering students, faculty resources, and opinions on program quality from education school deans and school hiring professionals."
VCU School of Education elevates teaching, learning, counseling, leadership and advocacy, shaping Virginia's educational landscape and beyond. VCU's School of Education is ranked 11th in education research in the U.S., according to the National Science Foundation's Higher Education Research and Development fiscal year 2022 survey. Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report's Best Online Programs ranked VCU School of Education in a tie for 15th overall in the online Master's in Educational Administration and Supervision Program category and the online Master's in Education Program was ranked in a tie for 45th overall. Read more about the VCU School of Education in our most recent annual report.
VCU School of Education
U.S. News & World Report 2024-2025 Rankings
- Best Public Graduate School of Education: #16
- Best Public Special Education Programs: #17
- Overall Graduate School of Education Rank: #25
- Overall Special Education Programs Rank: #19
- Rank for Total Amount of Externally Funded Research Conducted by the School: #18
- Rank for Annual Amount of Funded Research Expenditure per Faculty Member: #9
- Overall Best Online Master's in Educational Administration and Supervision Program: #15
- Overall Best Online Master's in Education Program: #45