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Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

McCourt School Ranks in Top 5% of Public Affairs Programs in US

The McCourt School of Public Policy climbed seven places in rankings compared to last year to reach the top 5% of all public affairs programs in the United States this year.

The U.S. News and World Report, which publishes annual rankings of the best colleges and graduate schools based on various criteria such as academic reputation and peer assessment scores, ranked the McCourt School in 12th place for public affairs programs. 

Barbara Schone, associate dean for academic affairs at the McCourt School, said she credits the increase in ranking to the school’s expansion over the past few years. 

“The McCourt School has been an area of growth at Georgetown that has happened, in part, due to the generous gifts by alumnus Frank McCourt (who just gave his second $100 million to the McCourt School last spring),” Schone wrote to The Hoya. “These gifts have enabled us to invest in ways that are unique. Our move to the Capitol Campus in a brand new building in the summer of 2024 will also enable us to be at the center of policymaking in DC.”

Sami Powderly/The Hoya | The U.S. News and World Report ranked the McCourt School of Public Policy in 12th place for public affairs programs, rising seven places from last year’s rankings.

Maria Cancian, dean of the McCourt School, said she was pleased to see the improved rankings and acknowledgment of the school’s dedicated faculty.

“Our mission at the McCourt School is to provide a world-class education,” Cancian said in a statement to the McCourt School. “I am delighted to see the work of our faculty, researchers, students and alumni continue to be acknowledged by U.S. News voters as we strive to solve the most pressing challenges of our time and help shape more equitable and inclusive communities in the U.S. and around the world.” 

The school’s inclusive and diverse community and location in Washington, D.C., make it stand out from other public policy programs, according to Schone.

“We have an unusual community of students, alumni, faculty, and staff that are committed to policymaking,” Schone wrote. “Further, being able to study public policy in Washington, DC, is hard to beat whether one is interested in domestic or international policy. We also have a strong commitment to making the McCourt School the most inclusive Public Policy school in the nation.”

The rankings are based solely on peer assessment data from academics and leadership within public policy programs across the country. Because of this, Schone said she believes that the rankings might not reflect all of the McCourt School program’s strengths. 

“The rankings can be somewhat idiosyncratic since they aren’t based on concrete criteria,” Schone wrote. “I would say that we pay some attention to the rankings, but we also realize that due to their idiosyncratic nature, they might not reflect all of the strengths of our program. It is hard to know from year to year how the rankings will adjust.”

In addition to ranking graduate schools overall, the U.S. News and World Report ranks specialty areas for programs of excellence. This year, the McCourt School ranked 4th in International Policy and Administration, 11th in Public Policy Analysis, 13th in Social Policy, 14th in Health Policy and Management and 14th in Public Management and Leadership. 

Atsuhiro Oguri (GRD ’22), who is studying International Development Policy at the McCourt School, was particularly excited to hear about the improvement of the International Policy and Administration ranking, as the field aligns with his interests and career goals.  

“The MIDP at McCourt stood out to me with its unique program design when compared to other master’s schools,” Oguri wrote to The Hoya. “I have enjoyed its well-structured curriculum with its strong focus on quantitative analysis. Also, the small cohort size and collaborative atmosphere have allowed me to build a tight-knit community with incredibly talented cohorts.”

The success of a variety of programs at the McCourt School reflect the dedication of the faculty and students, according to Schone. 

“These are areas that have been core strengths at the McCourt School for quite some time,” Schone wrote. “We have a wide array of faculty doing exciting research in these areas, and I believe that the rankings reflect that work.”

Schone said that she attributes the large improvement, particularly in the Public Management and Leadership ranking, to the recent faculty hires over the last few years.

“I am extraordinarily confident that the investments that we are making at the McCourt School will continue to pay off in terms of the quality of the educational experience we provide our students,” Schone wrote.

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