Each year, U.S. News ranks professional school programs in business, education, engineering, law, medicine and nursing, including specialties in each area. The Best Graduate Schools rankings in these 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. The data for the rankings in all six disciplines come from statistical surveys of more than 2,012 programs and from reputation surveys sent to more than 20,500 academics and professionals, conducted in fall 2017 and early 2018. As prospective students research course offerings and weigh schools' intangible attributes, the information on the U.S. News website can help applicants compare concrete factors, such as student-faculty ratio and job placement success upon graduation. Use the rankings to supplement – not substitute for – careful thought and individual inquiries |