The McCourt School of Public Policy and the McDonough School of Business both performed well in recently released nationwide and global surveys, with the MSB named first in the world for having the best-trained MBAs.

The McCourt School moved up across three specialty categories in the latest U.S. News & World Report’s Best Schools of Public Affairs ranking released March 12. The school rose a combined 17 spots from last year’s rankings, with the largest increase in the public management and leadership category, from No. 33 to No. 21 out of 282 schools. Overall, the McCourt School placed in the top 10 percent of public policy graduate programs nationwide.

The McCourt School’s higher rankings are evidence of the meaningful work conducted at the school, according to Dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy Maria Cancian.

“In my short time here, I have been incredibly impressed with our students, and the teaching and scholarship taking place at our school and research centers,” Cancian wrote in an email to The Hoya. “It is great to see the growing reputation and impact of McCourt reflected in the U.S. News specialty rankings.”

McDonough’s MBA programs were also ranked highly in a March 6 survey of recruiter responses conducted by Bloomberg Businessweek, where the school was first in the world for having the best-trained graduates. Additionally, McDonough was in the top seven schools of all six categories surveyed.

McDonough’s rating from the employer survey is positive for the school’s reputation, Senior Associate Dean of MBA programs Prashant Malaviya said.

“According to business leaders, our MBA graduates are among the best trained in the world for serving the needs of global businesses,” Malaviya wrote in an email to The Hoya. “These graduates have relevant knowledge, skill sets and mindsets to make a strong contribution to business, and they do this in a way that also makes a positive difference in society.”

In the survey of recent full-time MBA graduates conducted last spring, MBA recruiters listed McDonough as first in the world for having the best-trained graduates. Additionally, it was ranked third in the world for both having the most creative graduates and for showing exceptional entrepreneurial skills.

Businesses often seek individuals who can identify creative solutions to issues spanning business, policy, law and diplomacy, according to Malaviya. The rankings are a reflection of the well-rounded education that Georgetown provides, centered in Jesuit values, Malaviya wrote.

“Such an education is possible at Georgetown because of our location in DC, because of our world-renowned colleges and because of our Jesuit heritage,” Malaviya wrote.

In the U.S. News rankings, The McCourt School was No. 25 nationwide, placing it in the top 10 percent of public affairs graduate programs in the United States.

Compared to last year’s rankings, the McCourt School performed better in three categories: international global policy and administration, public policy analysis, and public management and leadership. In a new specialty area, social policy, the school was ranked No. 20 out of more than 280 programs.

The rankings reflect the school’s growth and increased stature in academia and policy communities, Michael A. Bailey, the Colonel William J. Walsh Professor of American Government and professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy, wrote in an email to The Hoya.

“We’re a relatively young school and it is great to see that our rankings-based reputation is catching up with the reality,” Bailey wrote.

The McCourt School officially launched in October 2013 following a record-breaking gift of $100 million from former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt Jr. (COL ’75). The gift provided the resources to increase the number of faculty at the school, expand scholarship funds to attract gifted students and support innovative research aimed at solving complex policy problems.

The McCourt School has continued to focus on expanding its research capabilities by hiring notable faculty and building strong community connections, according to Bailey.

“We are building more ties to the policy community, ties that will help us affect policy and will also inform our research and teaching,” Bailey wrote.

In recent years, the McCourt School has brought on notable scholars such as Nobel Laureate George Akerlof and distinguished professors like Pamela Herd, Sheila Foster and Donald Moynihan. In September 2015, the McCourt School launched the Institute of Politics and Public Service, or GU Politics, to foster public service and empower students to engage with the practice of politics.

Although the higher ranking is encouraging, the primary focus of the McCourt School is to continue increasing its influence as a public policy school, Cancian said.

“While we are gratified by the positive results, our focus is on expanding our impact and reach,” Cancian wrote. “We will continue to focus on producing the highest quality policy-relevant research, effective engagement with policy makers, and giving our exceptional students the tools and experience needed to lead across public, nonprofit and private institutions to contribute to the common good.”