The newest U.S. News & World Report graduate school rankings show the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to be among the best in the nation.

A plethora of UAB programs are highly ranked in the 2021 U.S. News Best Graduate School Rankings, including the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program and the Master of Nursing Administration.

In the School of Health Professions, the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program is the third-highest in the Southeast, ranked number 23 in the country, while the Doctor of Physical Therapy program jumped six spots to number 13, the second-highest in the Southeast.

The School of Nursing is ranked seventh among public schools of nursing and number 15 overall for master’s degrees. The school is also ranked number 10 among public schools of nursing and number 19 overall for Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees.

Also included were three high-ranked nursing specialties, including the Master of Nursing Administration, which is number one among public schools and number three overall, the Master of Family Nursing Practitioner, which is number four among public schools and number six overall and the Doctor of Nursing Practice Family Nurse Practitioner, which is number two among public schools and number five overall.

The School of Medicine is ranked number 31 for research and number 34 for primary care with three specialties — anesthesiology, internal medicine and surgery — ranked among the top in their respective fields. The School of Public Health is ranked number 19.

U.S. News ranks professional school programs in business, education, engineering, law, nursing and medicine, including specialties in each area. The rankings in these six areas are based on two types of data: expert opinions about program excellence, and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students.

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