UPDATE April 7, 2026:听The original version of this story omitted two 91探花programs that were included in the rankings: Occupational Therapy (Tied for 20th) and Physical Therapy (Tied for 31st).听

The 91探花鈥檚 graduate and professional degree programs again were recognized as among the best in the nation, according to .

Topping this year鈥檚 list include programs at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, the School of Public Health, the School of Nursing, the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering in the College of Engineering and the College of Education. The College of Arts & Sciences and the College of the Environment also had top-rated programs.

In total, 81 graduate and professional degree programs across the 91探花placed in the top 35 in this year鈥檚 U.S. News rankings.

“These rankings highlight the strength and impact of the 91探花鈥檚 graduate and professional programs,鈥� said 91探花President Robert J. Jones. 鈥淭hese programs equip students with the skills and knowledge to meet critical workforce needs and serve society, while demonstrating the power of higher education to advance the public good. We are proud to foster an environment where students and faculty can thrive and have a real impact on the world around them.鈥�

While the 91探花celebrates the success and impact of the programs recognized by U.S. News 鈥� and notes that many applicants use these rankings to help them select schools and discover potential areas of study 鈥� the University also recognizes shortcomings inherent in the ranking systems.

The 91探花School of Law and the 91探花School of Medicine withdrew from the U.S. News rankings in 2022 and 2023, respectively, citing concerns that some of the methodology in the rankings for those specific disciplines incentivize actions and policies that run counter to the schools鈥� public service missions.

91探花leaders continue to work with U.S. News and other ranking organizations to improve their methodologies, to the extent that the organizations are open to it. Schools, colleges and departments continually reevaluate the benefits and potential shortfalls of participating in specific rankings.

Excluding the School of Law and the School of Medicine, 29 91探花programs placed in the top 10, and 81 are in the top 35.

听The 91探花this year placed in the top 10 nationwide in public affairs, biostatistics,听 nursing, computer science, education, psychology, speech and language pathology, statistics and Earth sciences.

The UW鈥檚 Evans School of Public Policy & Governance has maintained its top-10 ranking for more than a decade and tied for fifth in the nation this year. The Evans School鈥檚 environmental policy program was ranked second, while public finance and budgeting as well as leadership both ranked No. 10.

The 91探花School of Nursing鈥檚 doctor of nursing practice program tied for No. 1 among public institutions. The School of Public Health has maintained its top-10 ranking for more than a decade, coming in this year at No. 9. The school also had three programs in the top 10: biostatistics, environmental health sciences and epidemiology.听

The UW鈥檚 programs in speech and language pathology tied for No. 6.听 Two programs from the College of Education placed in the top 10. And the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering this year tied for seventh place overall with three programs ranked in the top 10, including artificial intelligence, programming language and systems.

U.S. News ranks biostatistics in two ways. 91探花ranked No. 3 as a science discipline that applies statistical theory and mathematical principles to research in medicine, biology, environmental science, public health and related fields. UW鈥檚 School of Public Health ranked No. 7 in biostatistics as an area of study that trains students to apply statistical principles and methods to problems in health sciences, medicine and biology. At the UW, biostatistics is a division of the School of Public Health.

In some cases, such as the College of Arts & Science and the Foster School of Business, U.S. News ranks several professional disciplines housed within academic units. Programs in dentistry are not ranked.听

The rankings below are based on preliminary data and may be updated. relies on both expert opinions and statistical indicators.

TOP 10:

Library and Information Studies (overall): Two-way tie for 1st (ranked in 2025)

Public Affairs (environmental policy): 2nd

Library and information studies (digital librarianship): Two-way for 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Library and Information Studies (information systems): 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Biostatistics: 3rd

Physics (nuclear): Two-way tie for 3rd (ranked in 2024)

Nurse practitioner (doctor of nursing practice): Four-way tie for 4th

Evans School of Public Policy & Governance (overall): Four-way tie for 5th

Library and Information Studies (library services for children and youth): Two-way for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Computer science (systems): Tied for 6th

Education (elementary education): 6th

Psychology (clinical): Three-way tie for 6th

Speech-language pathology: Five-way tie for 6th

Statistics: Four-way tie for 6th

Public Health (biostatistics): 7th

Computer science (overall): Three-way tie for 7th

Computer science (programming language): Tied for 7th

Education (secondary education): 7th

Nursing (midwifery): Five-way tie for 7th

Public Health (environmental health sciences): 7th

School of Social Work (overall): 7th (ranked in 2025)

Public Health (epidemiology): 8th

Computer science (artificial intelligence): 9th

Earth sciences: Tied for 9th听

Geophysics: Three-way tie for 9th (ranked in 2024)

Public Affairs (nonprofit management): 9th

School of Public Health (overall): Tied for 9th

Public Affairs (public finance and budgeting): 10th

Public Affairs (public management and leadership): 10th

TOP 25:

Biological sciences: Five-way tie for 16th

Business (accounting): 10-way tie for 16th

Business (entrepreneurship): Five-way tie for 17th

Business (information systems): Three-way tie for 15th

Business (part-time MBA): Three-way tie for 11th

Business (full-time MBA): 20th

Business (management): Five-way tie for 25th

Business (marketing): Eight-way tie for 25th

Chemistry (analytical): Four-way tie for 16th (ranked in 2024)

Chemistry: Seven-way tie for 22nd

Chemistry (inorganic): Three-way tie for 22nd (ranked in 2024)

Computer science (theory): Tied for 11th

College of Education (overall): Tied for 24th

Education (administration): Tied for 11th

Education (curriculum/instruction): Tied for 12th

Education (policy): Tied for 14th

Education (special education): Tied for 12th

College of Engineering (overall): Three-way tie for 22nd

Engineering (aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical): Tied for 17th

Engineering (biomedical/bioengineering): Five-way tie for 12th

Engineering (civil): Four-way tie for 13th

Engineering (computer): 12th

Engineering (electrical): Three-way tie for 22nd

Engineering (industrial/manufacturing/systems): Seven-way tie for 24th

Engineering (materials engineering): Five-way tie for 25th

Library and Information Studies (school library media): Two-way tie for 11th (ranked in 2022)

Mathematics (applied math): 21st (ranked in 2024)

Nursing master鈥檚 (overall): Tied for 12th

Nurse practitioner (adult gerontology acute care): Tied for 11th

Nurse practitioner (family): Tied for 15th

School of Pharmacy (overall): Tied for 14th

Physics (overall): Tied for 20th听

Public Affairs (public policy analysis): 14th

Public Affairs (social policy): Tied for 13th

Public Affairs (urban policy): Three-way tie for 21st

Public Health (health care management): Three-way tie for 16th听

Public Health (health policy and management): 11th

Public Health (social behavior): 13th

Sociology (overall): Two-way tie for 22nd (ranked in 2025)

Sociology (population): Two-way tie for 15th (ranked in 2022)

TOP 35:

Business (analytics): Seven-way tie for 32nd

Business (executive MBA): Three-way tie for 29th

Business (finance): Nine-way tie for 31st

Business (international MBA): Tie for 32nd

Business (production & operations): Five-way tie for 27th

Engineering (chemical): Tied for 28th

Engineering (mechanical): 34th

English: Two-way tie for 34th (ranked in 2025)

Fine arts: 15-way tie for 34th

History: Three-way tie for 31st (ranked in 2025)

Mathematics: Four-way tie for 26th

Occupational Therapy: Tied for 20th

Physical Therapy: Tied for 31st

Political science: Five-way tie for 33rd (ranked in 2025)

UPDATE April 8,2025: An earlier version of this story included outdated rankings that were erroneously posted by U.S. News and have since been removed from the U.S. News ranking site. This story has been updated to reflect most recent rankings.

Many of the 91探花鈥檚 graduate and professional degree programs were widely recognized as among the best in the nation, according to .

The 91探花Information School tied for No. 1 alongside the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for library and information studies. And, more than 80 91探花schools and departments placed prominently in the 2026 rankings.

While the 91探花celebrates the success and impact of the programs recognized by U.S. News 鈥� and notes that many applicants use these rankings to help them select schools and discover potential areas of study 鈥� the University also recognizes shortcomings inherent in the ranking systems.

The 91探花School of Law and the 91探花School of Medicine withdrew from the U.S. News rankings in 2022 and 2023, respectively, citing concerns that some of the methodology in the rankings for those specific disciplines incentivize actions and policies that run counter to the schools鈥� public service missions.

91探花leaders continue to work with U.S. News and other ranking organizations to improve their methodologies, to the extent that the organizations are open to it. Schools, colleges and departments continually reevaluate the benefits and potential shortfalls of participating in specific rankings.

鈥淎s these rankings demonstrate, the UW鈥檚 outstanding graduate and professional degree programs are leading the way in training highly skilled people to fill critical workforce needs and advance discovery and innovation in a wide range of fields,鈥� said 91探花President Ana Mari Cauce. 鈥淚t has never been more important to recognize how much graduate and professional education benefit our nation and people everywhere, and the 91探花is proud to see these exceptional programs be celebrated.鈥�

Excluding the School of Law and the School of Medicine, 32 91探花programs placed in the top 10, and more than 80 are in the top 35.

In new rankings released this year, the 91探花placed in the top 10 nationwide in library and information studies, public affairs, nursing, speech and language pathology, education, public health, computer science, psychology and civil engineering, according to U.S. News.

The UW鈥檚 Evans School of Public Policy & Governance has maintained its top-10 ranking for more than a decade and placed seventh in the nation. The Evans School鈥檚 environmental policy program was ranked second and nonprofit management and social policy each were ranked at No. 8.

This year鈥檚 rankings highlighted UW鈥檚 leadership in nursing and public health: The 91探花School of Nursing held the No. 1 overall ranking for a public school offering a doctor of nursing practice program, and nursing schools at 91探花Bothell and 91探花Tacoma are among the top 10 public institutions that offer a master鈥檚 degree. The School of Public Health has maintained its top-10 ranking for more than a decade, coming in this year tied for No. 10. The school also had three programs in the top 10: biostatistics, environmental health sciences and epidemiology. And overall, the U.S. News rankings noted UW鈥檚 strength in health sciences: The School of Social Work was ranked No. 7 and the School of Pharmacy tied for 12th 鈥� or third among public institutions on the West Coast 鈥� on last year鈥檚 list, while dentistry programs are not ranked.

The UW鈥檚 programs in speech and language pathology tied for No. 5, topping schools on the West Coast.听 Three programs from the College of Education placed in the top 10. And the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering this year tied for seventh place overall, and four programs ranked in the top 10, including artificial intelligence, programming language, systems and theory.

In some cases, such as the College of Arts & Science and the Foster School of Business, U.S. News ranks several professional disciplines housed within academic units. The rankings below are based on preliminary data and may be updated. relies on both expert opinions and statistical indicators.

TOP 10:

Library and Information Studies (overall): Two-way tie for 1st

Public Affairs (environmental policy): 2nd

Library and information studies (digital librarianship): Two-way for 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Library and Information Studies (information systems): 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Nurse practitioner (doctor of nursing practice): 3rd

Physics (nuclear): Two-way tie for 3rd (ranked in 2024)

Library and Information Studies (library services for children and youth): Two-way for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Nursing (midwifery): 5th

Nurse practitioner (pediatric acute care): Two-way tie for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Speech-language pathology: Six-way tie for 5th

Education (elementary education): 6th

Education (secondary education): 6th

Public Health (biostatistics): 6th

Computer science (overall): Four-way tie for 7th

Computer science (programming language): 7th

Public Health (environmental health sciences): 7th

School of Social Work (overall): 7th (ranked in 2025)

Statistics: Tie for 7th (ranked in 2022)

Computer science (artificial intelligence): 8th

Computer science (systems): 8th

Education (curriculum/instruction): 8th

Evans School of Public Policy & Governance (overall): Two-way tie for 7th

Psychology (clinical): Six-way tie for 8th

Public Affairs (nonprofit management): 8th

Public Affairs (social policy): 8th

Public Health (epidemiology): Two-way tie for 8th

Computer science (theory): Three-way tie for 9th

Earth sciences: Five-way tie for 9th (ranked in 2024)

Geophysics: Three-way tie for 9th (ranked in 2024)

Engineering (civil): Three-way tie for 10th

Public Affairs (public finance and budgeting): 10th

School of Public Health (overall): Two-way tie for 10th

TOP 25:

Biological sciences: Three-way tie for 23rd (ranked in 2022)

Business (part-time MBA): Two-way tie for 17th

Business (information systems): Two-way tie for 12th

Business (international MBA): Three-way tie for 20th

Business (supply chain management): Three-way tie for 21st (ranked in 2025)

Business (full-time MBA): Two-way tie for 22nd

Business (entrepreneurship): Three-way tie for 23rd

Business (executive MBA): Three-way tie for 25th

Chemistry (analytical): Four-way tie for 16th (ranked in 2024)

Chemistry: Three-way tie for 24th (ranked in 2024)

Chemistry (inorganic): Three-way tie for 22nd (ranked in 2024)

College of Education (overall): Two-way tie for 22nd

Education (administration): Two-way tie for 12th

Education (policy): Three-way tie for 16th

Education (psychology): 19th

Education (special education): Two-way tie for 11th

College of Engineering (overall): Three-way tie for 20th

Engineering (aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical): Three-way tie for 15th

Engineering (biomedical/bioengineering): Four-way tie for 12th

Engineering (chemical): Two-way tie for 25th

Engineering (computer): Two-way tie for 13th

Engineering (electrical): Four-way tie for 18th

Engineering (environmental/environmental health): Four-way tie for 18th (ranked in 2025)

Engineering (materials engineering): Three-way tie for 24th

Library and Information Studies (school library media): Two-way tie for 11th (ranked in 2022)

Mathematics (applied math): 21st (ranked in 2024)

Nursing master鈥檚 (overall): Three-way tie for 12th

Nurse practitioner (family): Three-way tie for 11th (ranked in 2025)

College of Pharmacy (overall): Three-way tie for 12th (ranked in 2025)

Physics (overall): 20th (ranked in 2024)

Public Health (healthcare management): Three-way tie for 16th

Public Health (health policy and management): 13th

Public Health (social behavior): Two-way tie for 12th

Public Affairs (global policy and administration): 14th

Public Affairs (public management and leadership): Three-way tie for 11th

Public Affairs (public policy analysis): 13th

Sociology (overall): Two-way tie for 22nd

Sociology (population): Two-way tie for 15th (ranked in 2022)

TOP 35:

Business (accounting): Three-way tie for 27th

Business (management): Three-way tie for 29th

Business (finance): Three-way tie for 31st

Business (marketing): Two-way tie for 32nd

Engineering (industrial/manufacturing/systems): Three-way tie for 30th

Engineering (mechanical): Three-way tie for 30th

English: Two-way tie for 34th

History: Three-way tie for 31st

Mathematics: Three-way tie for 27th (ranked in 2024)

Political science: Five-way tie for 33rd

Psychology: Nine-way way tie for 30th

The 91探花 is the best in the U.S. and No. 2 in the world for library and information management, according to the released Wednesday. Four other 91探花subject areas placed in the top 10.

This ranking tracks an analysis of reputation and research output, conducted by , of academic subjects at 5,203 institutions around the world. The ranking consists of 1,747 institutions at 148 locations with more than 55 subjects across five broad faculty areas including arts and humanities; engineering and technology; life sciences and medicine; natural sciences; and social sciences and management.

The 91探花has 31 programs in the top 100, 16 in the top 50, and five subjects in the top 10, including:

• Library and information management 鈥� No. 2
• Nursing 鈥� No. 6
• Geology 鈥� No. 8
• Geophysics 鈥� No. 9
• Earth and marine sciences 鈥� No. 10

Visit the rankings site for .

UPDATE (Aug. 2, 2024): A previous version of this story misstated Paul Kinahan’s name.

Fifteen faculty members at the 91探花 have been elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences. They are among 36 scientists and educators from across the state . Selection recognizes the new members鈥� 鈥渙utstanding record of scientific and technical achievement, and their willingness to work on behalf of the academy to bring the best available science to bear on issues within the state of Washington.鈥�

Twelve 91探花faculty members were selected by current WSAS members. They are:

• , associate professor of epidemiology, of health systems and population health, and of child, family and population health nursing, who 鈥減ossesses the rare combination of scientific rigor and courageous commitment to local community health. Identifying original ways to examine questions, and seeking out appropriate scientific methods to study those questions, allow her to translate research to collaborative community interventions with a direct impact on the health of communities.鈥�
• , the Shauna C. Larson endowed chair in learning sciences, for 鈥渉is work in the cultural basis of scientific research and learning, bringing rigor and light to multiculturalism in science and STEM education through STEM Teaching Tools and other programs.鈥�
• , professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, 鈥渇or her sustained commitment to community-engaged, science-driven practice and policy change related to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of mental health, with a focus on providing effective, sustainable and culturally appropriate care to people with serious mental illness.鈥�
• , the David and Nancy Auth endowed professor in bioengineering, who has 鈥渃harted new paths for 30-plus years. Her quest to deeply understand protein folding/unfolding and the link to amyloid diseases has propelled her to pioneer unique computational and experimental methods leading to the discovery and characterization of a new protein structure linked to toxicity early in amyloidogenesis.鈥�
• , professor of environmental and occupational health sciences, of global health, and of emergency medicine, who is 鈥渁 global and national leader at the intersection of climate change and health whose work has advanced our understanding of climate change health effects and has informed the design of preparedness and disaster response planning in Washington state, nationally and globally.鈥�
• , professor of bioengineering and of radiology, who is 鈥渞ecognized for his contributions to the science and engineering of medical imaging systems and for leadership in national programs and professional and scientific societies advancing the capabilities of medical imaging.鈥�
• , the Donald W. and Ruth Mary Close professor of electrical and computer engineering and faculty member in the 91探花Clean Energy Institute, who is 鈥渞ecognized for his distinguished research contributions to the design and operation of economical, reliable and environmentally sustainable power systems, and the development of influential educational materials used to train the next generation of power engineers.鈥�
• , senior vice president and director of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, the Joel D. Meyers endowed chair of clinical research and of vaccine and infectious disease at Fred Hutch, and 91探花professor of medicine, who is 鈥渋s recognized for her seminal contributions to developing validated laboratory methods for interrogating cellular and humoral immune responses to HIV, TB and COVID-19 vaccines, which has led to the analysis of more than 100 vaccine and monoclonal antibody trials for nearly three decades, including evidence of T-cell immune responses as a correlate of vaccine protection.鈥�
• , professor of political science and the Walker family professor for the arts and sciences, who is a specialist 鈥渋n environmental politics, international political economy, and the politics of nonprofit organizations. He is widely recognized as a leader in the field of environmental politics, best known for his path-breaking research on the role firms and nongovernmental organizations can play in promoting more stringent regulatory standards.鈥�
• , the Ballmer endowed dean of social work, for investigations of 鈥渉ow inequality, in its many forms, affects health, illness and quality of life. He has developed unique conceptual frameworks to investigate how race, ethnicity and immigration are associated with health and social outcomes.鈥�
• , professor of chemistry, who is elected 鈥渇or distinguished scientific and community contributions to advancing the field of electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, which have transformed how researchers worldwide analyze data.鈥�
• , professor of bioengineering and of ophthalmology, whose 鈥減ioneering work in biomedical optics, including the invention of optical microangiography and development of novel imaging technologies, has transformed clinical practice, significantly improving patient outcomes. Through his numerous publications, patents and clinical translations, his research has helped shape the field of biomedical optics.鈥�

Three new 91探花members of the academy were selected by virtue of their previous election to one of the National Academies. They are:

• , professor of atmospheric and climate science, who had been elected to the National Academy of Sciences 鈥渇or contributions to research and expertise in atmospheric radiation and cloud processes, remote sensing, cloud/aerosol/radiation/climate interactions, stratospheric circulation and stratosphere-troposphere exchanges and coupling, and climate change.鈥�
• , the Bartley Dobb professor for the study and prevention of violence in the Department of Epidemiology and a 91探花professor of pediatrics, who had been elected to the National Academy of Medicine 鈥渇or being a national public health leader whose innovative and multidisciplinary research to integrate data across the health care system and criminal legal system has deepened our understanding of the risk and consequences of firearm-related harm and informed policies and programs to reduce its burden, especially among underserved communities and populations.鈥�
• , division chief of general pediatrics at Seattle Children鈥檚 Hospital and a 91探花professor of pediatrics, who had been elected to the National Academy of Medicine 鈥渇or her leadership in advancing child health equity through scholarship in community-partnered design of innovative care models in pediatric primary care. Her work has transformed our understanding of how to deliver child preventive health care during the critical early childhood period to achieve equitable health outcomes and reduce disparities.鈥�

In addition, Dr. , president and director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and of the Cancer Consortium 鈥� a partnership between the UW, Seattle Children鈥檚 Hospital and Fred Hutch 鈥� was elected to the academy for being 鈥減art of a research effort that found mutations in the cell-surface protein epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which plays an important role in helping lung cancer cells survive. Today, drugs that target EGFR can dramatically change outcomes for lung cancer patients by slowing the progression of the cancer.鈥�

the Boeing-Egtvedt endowed professor and chair in aeronautics and astronautics, will join the board effective Sept. 30. Morgansen was elected to WSAS in 2021 鈥渇or significant advances in nonlinear methods for integrated sensing and control in engineered, bioinspired and biological flight systems,鈥� and 鈥渇or leadership in cross-disciplinary aerospace workforce development.鈥� She is currently director of the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium, co-director of the 91探花Space Policy and Research Center and chair of the AIAA Aerospace Department Chairs Association. She is also a member of the WSAS education committee.

鈥淚 am excited to serve on the WSAS board and work with WSAS members to leverage and grow WSAS鈥檚 impact by identifying new opportunities for WSAS to collaborate and partner with the state in addressing the state鈥檚 needs,鈥� said Morgansen.

The new members to the Washington State Academy of Sciences will be formally inducted in September.

Thompson fills the position previously held by Azita Emami, who left in 2023 to lead the Yale School of Nursing. Allison Webel served as interim executive dean.

Thompson already is intimately familiar with UW鈥檚 world-class healthcare training and delivery. She鈥檚 a professor of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Informatics in the 91探花School of Nursing, core faculty at the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center and an adjunct professor in Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education in the 91探花School of Medicine.

鈥淒r. Thompson brings incredible knowledge and dedication to this leadership role, as well as a comprehensive understanding of the profession and the opportunities for the School to advance its history of excellence across the tri-campus system,鈥� Serio said.

As a 91探花faculty member since 2006, Thompson held several leadership roles, including graduate program director for the School of Nursing. Through that position, she developed several collaborative relationships, held budgetary and human resource responsibilities, and delegated responsibilities from the associate dean for academic affairs. Since 2021, she has served as an associate vice provost in the Office of Academic Personnel in the Provost鈥檚 Office.

鈥淭he 91探花 School of Nursing has a tremendous legacy of both innovation and excellence in research, education and practice. I look forward to partnering with students, staff and faculty across the three campuses, as well as our community and clinical partners, to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve,鈥� Thompson said.

Thompson鈥檚 research centers on improving outcomes following geriatric traumatic brain injury, as well as fall prevention. This work has been recognized with induction into Sigma’s International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame and membership in the Washington State Academy of Sciences. Her work is funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Thompson earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology from Mary Washington College in Virginia and her accelerated bachelor’s of science in nursing from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. A registered nurse and nurse practitioner, she earned her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, and completed her postdoctoral work at the UW.

The 91探花 School of Nursing today announced a $10 million bequest from 91探花chemistry professor emeritus Larry R. Dalton and his wife, Nicole A. Boand.

The gift, the largest in the history of the School of Nursing, will increase access to nursing education, with $8 million dedicated to cost-of-attendance scholarships. The remaining $2 million will be used to enrich and expand clinical education, including the recruitment of clinical nurse educators who can provide practical, on-the-job training for students.

Both programs will be named in honor of Boand, a registered nurse who completed her training with the Los Angeles County School of Nursing at Los Angeles County General Hospital, where she worked in the adolescent crisis psychiatric ward.

Bequests allow donors to direct their assets to causes they believe in after their death. To Boand, the anticipation of providing a way to bring more students into the nursing profession is meaningful.

鈥淭his gift is what makes the end of my life worthwhile,鈥� she said.

Nurses are in high demand nationwide, but especially in Washington, which is projected to have the greatest need for nurses of all 50 U.S. states by 2035, according to a from the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. Meeting that demand requires long-term planning and future-looking philanthropy, such as the Boand-Dalton bequest.

Allison Webel, interim executive dean of the School of Nursing, said the bequest will help further diversify the student population, while practical training puts UW鈥檚 graduates at an advantage when they enter the workforce.

鈥淚 cannot emphasize enough the impact this bequest will have. It will truly open doors for diverse, innovative students who may not have previously seen a nursing career as a possibility, and uniquely prepare them to meet the needs of Washington鈥檚 patient population. With this support, our students will enter the nursing workforce with a distinct advantage at a time when our communities need them most,鈥� Webel said.

The shortage of nurses in Washington is compounded by the national health care crisis, which was exacerbated by the COVID pandemic, Boand said. Many hospitals and other care providers are now forced to rely on so-called 鈥渢raveling鈥� or agency nurses who are paid at higher rates in exchange for temporary assignments, often bouncing from city to city, Boand said.

鈥淭he intention of our gift is to support the extended development of training in a clinical setting matching the student鈥檚 choice of specialization, including providing appropriate training supervision,鈥� Boand said. 鈥淭his would provide the nursing student with deepened clinical experience in their area of preference, so they enter their nursing career fully prepared to provide the best care for their patients.鈥�

That training can help send nurses to fill vacancies in rural and underserved communities, where there is high demand. And Boand said she鈥檚 hopeful the gift鈥檚 impacts will replicate for 91探花students what she experienced training and working in Los Angeles.

鈥淚 really would love to see the camaraderie return to nursing,鈥� Boand said. 鈥淎nd the sense that as nurses, we鈥檙e valuable to the patients as their advocates and caretakers.鈥�

Nurses, who for decades , serve a vital role in health care delivery, speaking up for patients while providing skilled care. Nurses serve as a bridge between physicians and patients, Boand said. But nursing education programs lack much of the federal funding that is available for medical students.

While no one can predict future costs, the Boand-Dalton gift is expected to increase scholarships above current levels for nearly 100% of eligible students. Additionally, the gifts will help pay for faculty to focus on clinical supervision, providing students with relevant practical experience.

Dalton, who joined the 91探花faculty in 1998 as the George B. Kauffman Professor in Chemistry, said institutions like the 91探花play a key role in training generations of workers, especially in critical fields that support human health and well-being such as nursing.

And the COVID pandemic laid bare the need for nurses, Dalton said.

鈥淭here is no greater societal need at this time than the need for increased financial support for the training of nurses,鈥� he said.

The School of Nursing, which ranks among the top nursing programs in the world, brings together science, technology, skills and a commitment to care for all. The Boand bequests serve the school鈥檚 mission to enable graduates to improve the health of all people by using innovative and evidence-based solutions.

91探花President Ana Mari Cauce thanked Boand and Dalton for the tremendous impact the couple has had across the University.

鈥淟arry and Nicole鈥檚 philanthropy is a beacon to others. With their previous gifts, they鈥檝e created enormous impact through named professorships, which help the 91探花retain talented faculty, and support for our chemistry department, making it one of the nation鈥檚 top programs,鈥� Cauce said. “Their investment in nursing scholarships and clinical education comes at a critical time in the post-pandemic era, and we are grateful for their visionary generosity.”

For more information, contact Alex Abplanalp, assistant dean, 91探花School of Nursing, at ann08@uw.edu.

Social media. The climate crisis. Political polarization. The tumult of a pandemic and online learning. Teens today are dealing with unprecedented stressors, and over the past decade their mental health has been in sustained decline. Levels of anxiety and depression . Compounding the problem is a shortage of mental health providers 鈥� for every 100,000 children in the U.S., there are .

In response to this crisis, 91探花 researchers studied whether virtual reality might help reduce stress for teens and boost mental health. Working with adolescents, the team designed a snowy virtual world with six activities 鈥� such as stacking rocks and painting 鈥� based on practices shown to improve mental health.

In a 3-week study of 44 Seattle teens, researchers found that teens used the technology an average of twice a week without being prompted and reported lower stress levels and improved mood while using it, though their levels of anxiety and depression didn鈥檛 decline overall.

The researchers published April 22 in the journal JMIR XR and Spatial Computing. The system is not publicly available.

鈥淲e know what works to help support teens, but a lot of these techniques are inaccessible because they鈥檙e locked into counseling, which can be expensive, or the counselors just aren鈥檛 available,鈥� said lead author , a 91探花senior research scientist in the human centered design and engineering department. 鈥淪o we tried to take some of these evidence-based practices, but put them in a much more engaging environment, like VR, so the teens might want to do them on their own.鈥�

The world of Relaxation Environment for Stress in Teens, or RESeT, came from conversations the researchers had with groups of teens over two years at Seattle Public Library sites. From these discussions, the team built RESeT as an open winter world with a forest that users could explore by swinging their arms (a behavior ) to move their avatar. A signpost with six arrows on it sent users to different activities, each based on methods shown to improve mental health, such as dialectical behavior therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction.

In one exercise, 鈥淩iverboat,鈥� users put negative words in paper boats and send them down a river. Another, 鈥淩abbit Hole,鈥� has players stand by a stump; the longer they鈥檙e still, the more rabbits appear.

鈥淚n the co-design process, we learned some teens were really afraid of squirrels, which I wouldn鈥檛 have thought of,鈥� Bj枚rling said. 鈥淪o we removed all the squirrels. I still have a Post-It in my office that says 鈥榙elete squirrels.鈥� But all ages and genders loved rabbits, so we designed Rabbit Hole, where the reward for being calm and paying attention is a lot of rabbits surrounding you.鈥�

To test the potential effects of RESeT on teens鈥� mental health, the team enrolled 44 teens between ages 14 and 18 in the study. Each teen was given a Meta Quest 2 headset and asked to use RESeT three to five times a week Because the researchers were trying to see if teens would use RESeT regularly on their own, they did not give prompts or incentives to use the headsets after the start of the study. Teens were asked to complete surveys gauging their stress and mood before and after each session.

On average, the teens used RESeT twice a week for 11.5 minutes at a time. Overall, they reported feeling significantly less stressed while using RESeT, and also reported smaller improvements in mood. They said they liked using the headset in general. However, the study found no significant effects on anxiety and depression.

鈥淩educed stress and improved mood are our key findings and exactly what we hoped for,鈥� said co-author , an associate professor in the 91探花School of Nursing who works with children and families. 鈥淲e didn’t have a big enough participant group or a design to study long-term health impacts, but we have promising signals that teens liked using RESeT and could administer it themselves, so we absolutely want to move the project forward.鈥�

The researchers aim to conduct a larger, longer-term study with a control group to see if a VR system could impart lasting effects on mood and stress. They鈥檙e also interested in incorporating artificial intelligence to personalize the VR experience and in exploring offering VR headsets in schools or libraries to improve community access.

Additional co-authors were , a 91探花lecturer and researcher at Microsoft; , a senior manager at Electronic Arts who completed this research as a 91探花master鈥檚 student in human centered design and engineering; , a research professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the 91探花School of Medicine; and , a senior product designer at Statsig who completed this research as a 91探花master鈥檚 student in human centered design and engineering. This research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health through the , which supports 91探花research on mental health.

For more information, contact Bj枚rling at bjorling@uw.edu and Sonney at jsonney@uw.edu.

The 91探花 has been named one of the world鈥檚 top universities, according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject Wednesday.

This ranking tracks an analysis, conducted by , of 16,400 university programs at 1,500 institutions in 96 locations around the world.

The 91探花has 45 programs in the top 100, and five subjects in the top 10, including:

• Library and information management 鈥� No. 3
• Nursing 鈥� No. 4
• Geology 鈥� No. 8
• Earth and marine sciences 鈥� No. 10
• Geophysics 鈥� No. 10

The complete list and more about the methodology can be found .

UPDATE:

On June 18, U.S. News & Report updated the rankings to include a number of engineering disciplines.听The College of Engineering was ranked No. 21 overall and nine subdisciplines ranked in the top 35. They include:

Engineering: Aerospace, Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering, 17th

Engineering: Chemical Engineering, 25th

Engineering: Civil Engineering,12th

Engineering: Computer Engineering, 12th

Engineering: Electrical, Electronic & Communications Engineering, 15th

Engineering: Environmental & Environmental Health Engineering, 18th

Engineering: Industrial Manufacturing & Systems Engineering, 29th

Engineering: Materials Engineering, 29th

Engineering: Mechanical Engineering, 33rd

Original story:

The 91探花鈥檚 graduate and professional degree programs were widely recognized as among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 2025 Best Graduate Schools released late Monday.

While the 91探花celebrates the success and impact of the programs recognized by U.S. News 鈥� and many applicants use these rankings to help them select schools and discover potential areas of study 鈥� the University also recognizes shortcomings inherent in the ranking systems.

The 91探花School of Law and the 91探花School of Medicine withdrew from the U.S. News rankings in 2022 and 2023, respectively, citing concerns that some of the methodology in the rankings for those specific disciplines incentivize actions and policies that run counter to the schools鈥� public service missions.

91探花leaders continue to work with U.S. News and other ranking organizations 鈥� to the extent they are open to it 鈥� to improve their methodologies. And schools, colleges and departments continually reevaluate the benefits and potential shortfalls of participating in specific rankings.

鈥淎cross the UW, our world-class graduate and professional degree programs are not only expanding and creating knowledge and discovery, they are training the next generation of highly skilled professionals and Ph.D.s who are needed in our labs, classrooms and hospitals; in government and industry and everywhere that we face serious and urgent challenges,鈥� said 91探花President Ana Mari Cauce. 鈥淲e鈥檙e happy to see the success of these programs be recognized.鈥�

Dozens of 91探花schools and departments placed prominently in the 2025 rankings 鈥� excluding the School of Law and the School of Medicine, more than 30 placed in the top 10, and more than 60 in the top 35.

In new rankings released this year, the 91探花placed in the top 10 nationwide in public affairs, nursing, speech and language pathology, computer science, education, public health, social work and business, according to U.S. News.

The UW鈥檚 Evans School of Public Policy & Governance has maintained its top-10 ranking for more than a decade and placed eighth in the nation. The Evans School鈥檚 environmental policy program was ranked second, nonprofit management and social policy each ranking at No. 8, public finance and budgeting came in at No. 10.

This year鈥檚 rankings solidified 91探花leadership in the health sciences: The 91探花School of Nursing tied for third place for the doctor of nursing practice program, and nursing schools at 91探花Bothell and 91探花Tacoma are among the top 10 public institutions that offer a master鈥檚 degree. The School of Public Health tied for No. 7, and had three programs 鈥� biostatistics, environmental health sciences and epidemiology 鈥� in the top 10. The School of Social Work was ranked No. 7 this year and the School of Pharmacy placed third among public institutions on the West Coast. Dentistry programs are not ranked by U.S. News

The UW鈥檚 programs in speech and language pathology ranked No. 5, topping schools on the West Coast.听 Three programs from the College of Education placed in the top 10, and the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering this year tied for seventh place overall, and three programs ranked in the top 10, including artificial intelligence at No. 6, programming language at No. 8, and systems at No. 9.

U.S. News said it would release 2025 rankings for clinical psychology and other engineering programs at a later date.

In some cases, such as the College of Arts & Science and the Foster School of Business, U.S. News ranks several professional disciplines housed within academic units. The rankings below are based on preliminary data and may be updated. Information about U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 methodology can be found .

TOP 10:

Public Affairs (environmental policy): 2nd

Library and Information Studies (overall): Tie for 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Library and Information studies (digital librarianship): Tie for 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Library and Information Studies (information systems): 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Nurse practitioner (doctor of nursing practice): Two-way tie for 3rd

Physics (nuclear): Tied for 3rd (ranked in 2024)

Library and Information Studies (library services for children and youth): Tie for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Speech-language pathology: Four-way tie for 5th

Nurse practitioner (pediatric acute care): Tie for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Computer science (artificial intelligence): 6th

Nurse midwifery: Tie for 6th

Computer science (overall): Three-way tie for 7th

Education (secondary education): 7th

Education (elementary education): 7th

School of Public Health (overall): Tie for 7th

Public Health (biostatistics): 7^th

Public Health (environmental health sciences): 7th

School of Social Work (overall): 7th

Statistics: Tie for 7th (ranked in 2022)

Computer science (programming language): 8th

Education (curriculum/instruction): Three-way tie for 8th

Evans School of Public Policy & Governance (overall): 8th

Public Affairs (nonprofit management): 8th

Public Affairs (social policy): 8th

Computer science (systems): 9th

Earth sciences: Five-way tie for 9th (ranked in 2024)

Geophysics: Three-way tie for 9th (ranked in 2024)

Public Health (epidemiology): 9th

Public Affairs (public finance and budgeting): 10th

Business (part-time MBA): Three-way tie for 10th

Business (information systems): Two-way tie for 10th

TOP 25:

Biological sciences: Three-way tie for 23rd (ranked in 2022)

Business (marketing): Six-way tie for 23rd (ranked in 2024)

Business (analytics): Four-way tie for 19th

Business (entrepreneurship): Four-way tie for 21st

Chemistry (analytical): Four-way tie for 16th (ranked in 2024)

Chemistry: Three-way tie for 24th (ranked in 2024)

Chemistry (inorganic): Three-way tie for 22nd (ranked in 2024)

Computer science (theory): 11th

College of Education (overall): Two-way tie for 23rd

Education (administration/supervision): Two-way tie for 11th

Education (policy): Two-way tie for 19th

Education (special education): 11th

Mathematics (applied math): 21st (ranked in 2024)

Nursing master鈥檚 (overall): Two-way tie for 12th

Nurse practitioner (family): Three-way tie for 11th

College of Pharmacy (overall): Three-way tie for 12th

Physics (overall): 20th (ranked in 2024)

Public Health (health policy and management): Tie for 14th

Public Health (social behavior): 14th

Public Affairs (global policy): 14th

Public Affairs (leadership): Three-way tie for 11th

Public Affairs (public policy analysis): 13th

Psychology: Seven-way way tie for 23rd (ranked in 2022)

Library and Information Studies (school library media): Tie for 11th (ranked in 2022)

Sociology (overall): Three-way tie for 20th (ranked in 2022)

Sociology (population): Tie for 15th (ranked in 2022)

TOP 35:

Business (accounting): Four-way tie for 29th

Business (full-time MBA): Two-way tie for 27th

Business (supply chain management): Three-way tie for 21st

English: Seven-way tie for 32nd (ranked in 2022)

History: Four-way tie for 34th (ranked in 2022)

Mathematics: Three-way tie for 27th (ranked in 2024)

Political science: Three-way tie for 34th (ranked in 2022)

Eight professors at the 91探花 have been elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences, the organization . The Academy said members are elected 鈥渋n recognition of their outstanding record of scientific and technical achievement, and their willingness to work on behalf of the Academy to bring the best available science to bear on issues within the state of Washington.鈥�听

The 2023 cohort includes 29 new members. Twenty-six were elected by current WSAS members, and the other three were selected because they recently joined one of the National Academies.听听

The 91探花faculty who will be formally inducted in September are:听听

• , Kirby & Kelly Cramer Endowed Professor of Nursing, for 鈥渃ontributions to improving public health systems and services. Foundational to Senator Murray鈥檚 , her research supports collection of standardized public health financial data assessing impact.鈥�听
• , associate professor of microbiology and of genome sciences at the 91探花School of Medicine and professor and investigator at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, for 鈥渃ontributions to our understanding of viral evolution and how mutations shape a pathogen鈥檚 ability to infect and spread. His discoveries have driven the scientific and public discourse on numerous viruses, including influenza, HIV, and most recently SARS-CoV-2.鈥�听
• , Washington Research Foundation Innovation Professor in Clean Energy and professor of mechanical engineering, for 鈥渙utstanding contributions to the fundamental understanding of battery electrode architectures and the development of advanced manufacturing methods to accelerate commercialization of materials processing technology.鈥�听
• , professor of sociology and of public policy and governance, director of the and associate vice provost for research, for 鈥済roundbreaking work in demography and the sociology of migration, taking a multi-faceted approach that illuminates the dynamic interplay between demographic conditions and factors such as gender, socio-economic context, and climate change.鈥�听
• , research professor of microbiology at the 91探花School of Medicine, professor at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and director of the Pathogen-Associated Malignancies Integrated Research Center, for “For contributions to advancing our understanding of the role that small DNA tumor viruses 鈥� human papillomaviruses (HPV) and human polyomavirus (HPyV) 鈥� play in cancer development.”
• , J. Ray Bowen Endowed Professor for Innovation in Engineering Education and professor of aeronautics and astronautics, for 鈥渆xtraordinary contributions to guidance and control of autonomous and distributed aerospace systems, for leadership in educational innovations, and for advancing aerospace technology transfers leading to industry research collaborations throughout his career.鈥�听
• , Michael G. Foster Endowed Professor of Information Systems and chair of the Department of Information Systems and Operations Management, for 鈥渙utstanding contributions to advance our understanding of how technologies impact the behaviors and decision-making of individuals, organizations, and society in the contexts of e-commerce, social media, fintech, healthcare, and sharing economy.鈥�听
• , Thomas and Marilyn Nielsen Endowed Professor in Engineering, professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of PacTrans and STAR Lab, for 鈥減ioneering contributions to traffic sensing, transportation data science, edge AI, and smart infrastructure system theory and technologies, as well as the exceptional leadership in regional collaborations among academia, industry, and agencies for creating transformational mobility solutions.鈥�听

Correction: An earlier version of this release omitted the election of Denise Galloway to the Academy.