The School of Social Work’s master degree program ranked No. 3 in the nation, according to the 2017 Best Graduate Schools report released March 16 by U.S. News & World Report. The School received a No. 3 ranking in 2012 as well, the last year that graduate schools of social work were ranked.
“We are thrilled to see that we are once again ranked one of the top schools in this prestigious national survey,” says School of Social Work Dean 
Edwina Uehara. “This recognition from more than 200 peer institutions reflects the high level of social innovation and impact that our faculty, students and alumni achieve every day through research breakthroughs, classroom engagement and community partnerships.”
To determine the current rankings, U.S. News surveyed 206 social work schools and programs. Out of a top score of 5.0, the School received a score of 4.3. The rankings are based solely on peer assessments conducted by surveys sent to deans, program directors, department chairs and faculty members at accredited social work degree programs nationwide.
Respondents were asked to rate the academic quality of each school’s program on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding). Only fully accredited programs in good standing are ranked. The current rankings were based on surveys conducted in fall 2015 by the research firm, Ipsos Public Affairs. The response rate among schools of social work was 51 percent.
This year, the School was in a three-way tie for the No. 3 spot, along with the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Chicago. In the 2012 rankings, the School tied for the third spot with the University of Chicago. The top-ranking school of social work, according to the report, was the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, followed by Washington University in St. Louis.
The UW health sciences schools, which include medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and social work, consistently rank in the top 10 among peer institutions across the country. Read more about the rankings of UW health sciences schools here. (U.S. News & World Report does not rank schools of dentistry.)