'U.S. News & World Report' announces 2026 graduate school rankings

U.S. News & World Report today released its 2026 Best Graduate Schools rankings, showcasing a number of The University of New Mexico's graduate programs. UNM has several programs in the top 100 with Nursing Midwifery leading the pack at No. 7, up three spots from No. 10 last year.

UNM has long been a cornerstone of nurse-midwifery leadership and practice in New Mexico. UNM college of Nursing graduates make up more than one-third of the state's practicing certified nurse-midwives.

"We are proud of the national reputation of our program. It reflects the dedication of our faculty, students and community-based preceptors," said Abigail Reese, UNM College of Nursing Nurse-Midwifery Program director. " We are preparing midwifery leaders to serve New Mexico's communities."

This ranking reflects the program's consistently strong national reputation among peer programs. Faculty, staff and students are contributing to new approaches in education, research and clinical training that support the future nurse-midwifery workforce.

Continued support for nurse-midwifery education and practice is a priority for the UNM College of Nursing.

"Midwifery care is foundational, and it is a privilege to be part of strengthening that foundation for families and communities across the state," said UNM College of Nursing Dean Rosario Medina. "Midwifery has deep roots in New Mexico and that is something that we carry with us in everything we do."

Nurse-midwives are essential health care providers. They are licensed advanced practice professionals with full-scope practice and prescriptive authority, they provide care across the patient lifespan, including primary care, prenatal and postpartum care, birth, newborn care, sexual and reproductive health, gynecologic care and culturally respectful counseling to support informed decision-making.

Overall, 42 UNM colleges/schools and or programs were ranked in the top 100 either as graduate programs or survey-based rankings for various disciplines.

Business
#67 in Part-time MBA (tie)
#80 in Information Systems (tie)
#85 in Management (tie)
#100 in Executive MBA (tie)
#107 in Accounting (tie)
#123 in Finance (tie)
#158 in Business Analytics (tie)

Engineering
#14 in Nuclear Engineering
#74 in Electrical/ Electronic/ Communications Engineering (tie)
#78 in Chemical Engineering (tie)
#82 in Environmental/ Environmental Health Engineering (tie)
#91 in Computer Engineering (tie)
#92 in Civil Engineering (tie)

#105 in Best Engineering Schools (tie) - The School of Engineering corrected an error in how research expenditures have been reported in previous years to U.S. News and World Report, resulting in a change in the school's overall ranking for Best Engineering Schools.

#106 in Best Computer Science Schools (tie)
#114 in Biomedical Engineering / Bioengineering (tie)
#115 in Mechanical Engineering (tie)

Tier 1 in Best Medical Schools: Primary Care
#7 in Nursing-Midwifery (tie)
#44 in Pharmacy (tie)
#51 in Occupational Therapy (tie)
#53 in Clinical Psychology (tie)
#54 in Speech-Language Pathology (tie)
#89 in Public Health (tie)
#91 in Best Nursing Schools: Doctor of Nursing Practice (tie)
#57 in Physical Therapy (tie)
#75 in Physician Assistant (tie)

Tier 3 in Best Medical Schools: Research
#17 in Most Graduates Practicing in Health Professional Shortage Areas
#39 in Most Graduates Practicing in Primary Care (tie)
#63 in Most Graduates Practicing in Rural Areas (tie)

Law
#12 in Law Schools With the Most Graduates in Public Interest Law (tie)
#15 in Clinical Training (tie)
#31 in Environmental Law
#66 in Legal Writing (tie)
#89 in International Law (tie)
#92 in Health Care Law (tie)
#98 in Contracts/Commercial Law (tie)
#100 in Criminal Law (tie)
#108 in Constitutional Law (tie)
#116 in Tax Law (tie)
#117 in Best Law Schools (tie)
#121 in Trial Advocacy (tie)
#124 in Business/Corporate Law (tie)
#127 in Intellectual Property Law (tie)

Other ranked graduate programs
#34 in Best Fine Arts Programs (tie)
#53 in Clinical Psychology (tie)
#58 in Earth Sciences (tie)
#56 in History (tie)
#71 in Sociology (tie)
#73 in Physics (tie)
#74 in Political Science (tie)
#78 in Statistics
#80 in English (tie)
#89 in Public Health (tie)
#92 in Public Affairs Programs (tie)
#92 in Biological Sciences (tie)
#93 in Mathematics (tie)
#104 in Education Schools (tie)
#105 in Economics (tie)
#107 in Psychology (tie)
#111 in Chemistry (tie)

Each year, U.S. News & World Report ranks professional schools and programs in business, education, law, engineering, medicine and nursing. The Best Graduate Schools rankings in these areas are based on two types of data: expert opinion about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, students and post-graduate outcomes for them.

Data for the rankings in the six disciplines came from statistical surveys and often from peer assessment surveys sent to academics and professionals in their respective fields, conducted in fall 2025 and early 2026. In some cases, data from these surveys was combined with third-party information.

The rankings focus only on graduate programs, as opposed to other rankings released from U.S. News & World Report that focus on undergraduate and online programs. The publication releases rankings every year but focuses on different programs with each release.