Ranking American Universities By Strength of Professional Programs

College Search & Selection
1

<p>If you average out the ranks on the USNWR Professional School Ratings (Business, Law and Medicine), this is what you get for each school.</p>

<ol>
<li>Harvard: 1.33</li>
<li>Stanford: 3.00</li>
<li>Penn: 4.00</li>
<li>Yale: 5.33</li>
<li>Chicago: 7.33</li>
<li>Columbia: 7.67</li>
<li>Duke: 9.33</li>
<li>Michigan: 10.33</li>
<li>UCLA: 11.00</li>
<li>Northwestern: 12.00</li>
</ol>

<p>I only included the top 10 and universities that possessed all 3 major professional programs.</p>

<p>Sources
Best</a> Medical Schools | Research Rankings | Top Medical Schools for Research | US News Best Graduate Schools
Best</a> Law School Rankings | Law Program Rankings | US News
Best</a> Business School Rankings | MBA Program Rankings | US News</p>

2

<p>Now, if “professions” referred to learned professions, I guess that would leave out business…</p>

3

<p>I also think Engineering should be included.</p>

4

<p>Alexandre, I don’t believe Engineering qualifies as a professional discipline. Although it has practical applications, engineering is theoretical in nature and should be treated as a legitimate field of academic study. Getting a PhD or a Masters in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering is a lot different than going to Business or Law school.</p>

5

<p>Of course if engineering were included, the top ten would be quite different. :-)</p>

6

<p>Another “trap thread” to annoy the public universities boosters? </p>

<p>From the Michigan windy shores … hey, goldieboy, include our engineers! From the poorer side of the Nocal Bay … wait, wait, engineers is not 'nuff. That Med School in SF should be added to Cal’s ledger.</p>

7

<p>Your numbers are off:</p>

<p>Harvard – 2 (business) + 2 (law) + 1 (med) = 5 / 3 = 1.67
UCLA – 14 (business) + 16 (law) + 13 (med) = 43 / 3 = 14.33</p>

<p>UVa is the next on your list – 13 (business) + 9 (law) + 22 (med) = 44 / 3 = 14.67</p>

8

<p>jc40,</p>

<p>Thanks for catching my errors! I did the calculations rather fast so here’s the updated list.</p>

<ol>
<li>Harvard: 1.67</li>
<li>Stanford: 3.00</li>
<li>Penn: 4.00</li>
<li>Yale: 5.33</li>
<li>Chicago: 7.33</li>
<li>Columbia: 7.67</li>
<li>Duke: 9.33</li>
<li>Michigan: 10.33</li>
<li>Northwestern: 12.00</li>
<li>UCLA: 14.33</li>
<li>UVA: 14.67</li>
</ol>

9

<p>You forgot WUStL. It would rank between Northwestern and UCLA.</p>

10

<p>Wust:14.00</p>

11

<ol>
<li>Harvard: 1.67</li>
<li>Stanford: 3.00</li>
<li>Penn: 4.00</li>
<li>Yale: 5.33</li>
<li>Chicago: 7.33</li>
<li>Columbia: 7.67</li>
<li>Duke: 9.33</li>
<li>Michigan: 10.33</li>
<li>Northwestern: 12.00</li>
<li>WUSTL: 14.00</li>
<li>UCLA: 14.33</li>
<li>UVA: 14.67</li>
</ol>

<p>I stand corrected again. Talk about private school domination! ;)</p>

12

<p>

You mean “Cal Boosters”.</p>

<p>I come from UCLA, a public university, and this is literally the most flattering thread that has popped up about my school. (Yeah, these boards haven’t ever been as kind to it as the other top publics.) </p>

<p>As for Michigan, I don’t see what its students should be upset about. This is actually a rather fair assessment.</p>

<p>

Yeah, that’s not conventionally grouped with the other “professional” areas of study…</p>

13

<p>Cornell might be next: 15.33, I believe, but you can check my math.</p>

<p>Contrary to xiggi’s suggestion, I’ll take Michigan’s #8 ranking on this score. Especially since, if you add engineering and “core academic” disciplines in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences, Michigan would only move up and compete with Harvard, Stanford, and UC Berkeley for the title of “most complete” university in the nation. </p>

<p>But of course, as every CC junkie knows, that kind of across-the-board academic excellence has absolutely nothing to do with undergraduate education. Nothing to see here. Move on, people.</p>

14

<p>According to the USNWR graduate school edition, there are 6 major professional programs:</p>

<p>Business*
Education
Engineering*
Law*
Medicine*
Public Affairs/Policy</p>

<p>The four that have * next to them were included since the founding of the graduate school edition.</p>

15

<p>Got me out of the woodwork. Xiggi is right most of the time, even though he doesn’t wear blue and yellow tinted glasses. </p>

<p>Of course engineering is a professional degree. States issue licenses to practice engineering.</p>

<p>And, of course, the med school across the Bay should be included in Cal’s tally, IMHO. ;)</p>

<p>Something like this:

  1. Harvard: 1.67
  2. Stanford: 3.00
  3. Penn: 4.00
  4. Yale: 5.33
  5. Berkeley/UCSF: 7.00
  6. Chicago: 7.33
  7. Columbia: 7.67
  8. Duke: 9.33
  9. Michigan: 10.33
  10. Northwestern: 12.00
  11. WUSTL: 14.00
  12. UCLA: 14.33
  13. UVA: 14.67</p>
16

<p>

</p>

<p>I don’t understand your post, UCB. You say engineering should be counted, but then you don’t count it. Adding engineering, I get the following:</p>

<ol>
<li>Stanford 3.00 </li>
<li>Harvard 5.75</li>
<li>UC Berkeley/SF 6.00</li>
<li>Penn 8.00 </li>
<li>Columbia 9.75</li>
<li>Michigan 10.00</li>
<li>Yale 12.75</li>
<li>Northwestern 14.00</li>
<li>UCLA 14.25</li>
<li>Duke 14.75</li>
<li>UVA 20.75</li>
<li>WUSTL 22.75</li>
</ol>

<p>Chicago drops out because they don’t have engineering. If you want to give them a pass and let them in on their 3-program average of 7.33, they’d be #4, just head of Penn, and ## 4-12 would each drop down one.</p>

<p>Adding engineering, though, I’m not sure these are still the top schools. Cornell sneaks in there somewhere: #13 law, #16 business, #17 medicine, #10 engineering = 14.00 average, so tied with Northwestern for #8. And Texas (#14 law, #17 business, #22 medicine, #8 engineering) comes in right behind Duke but well ahead of UVA and WUSTL with a 15.25 average. Not sure if there are others.</p>

17

<p>^ Looks good. I didn’t spend the time to add engineering in my post, so I presented my list with the caveat “Something like this”.</p>

18

<p>Finally, a more accurate ranking:</p>

<ol>
<li>Stanford 3.00 </li>
<li>Harvard 5.75

<ol>
<li>UC Berkeley/SF 6.00</li>
<li>Penn 8.00 </li>
</ol></li>
<li>Columbia 9.75

<ol>
<li>Michigan 10.00</li>
<li>Yale 12.75</li>
<li>Northwestern 14.00</li>
<li>UCLA 14.25</li>
<li>Duke 14.75</li>
<li>UVA 20.75</li>
<li>WUSTL 22.75</li>
</ol></li>
</ol>

<p>It looks like 3 out of the top 9 are publics. :-)</p>

19

<p>“Adding engineering, though, I’m not sure these are still the top schools. Cornell sneaks in there somewhere: #13 law, #16 business, #17 medicine, #10 engineering = 14.00 average, so tied with Northwestern for #8.”</p>

<p>So it appears when Cornell engineering is added, that knocks Duke out of the top ten. I bet the OP didn’t expect that to happen when he posted this thread. </p>

<ol>
<li>Stanford 3.00 </li>
<li>Harvard 5.75

<ol>
<li>UC Berkeley/SF 6.00</li>
<li>Penn 8.00 </li>
</ol></li>
<li>Columbia 9.75

<ol>
<li>Michigan 10.00</li>
<li>Yale 12.75</li>
<li>Cornell 14.00</li>
<li>Northwestern 14.00</li>
<li>UCLA 14.25</li>
</ol></li>
</ol>

20

<p>

I assume you’re talking about the UT-Southwestern Medical Center. That’s owned and operated by the UT system and not UT-Austin exclusively. UT-Austin technically doesn’t have its own medical school, so I guess it’s not being included in this ranking.</p>

<p>UChicago doesn’t have an engineering school, so it looks as if it’s being left out as well. </p>

<p>Otherwise Texas and UChicago would definitely both be in the top 10 or 15.</p>

<p>UT AUSTIN: 13
Business - 17th
Law - 14th
Engineering - 8th
Medical - N/A</p>

<p>UCHICAGO: 7.3
Business - 5th
Law - 5th
Engineering - N/A
Medical - 12th</p>