SESP Ranked No. 2 by U.S. News
Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) has earned its highest-ever ranking — No. 2 among graduate schools of education in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.
The recognition extends a remarkable run: SESP has placed among the top 15 graduate schools of education for 24 consecutive years. The ranking arrives as the school prepares to mark its centennial, with celebrations beginning July 1.
Since its founding, SESP has built a reputation for doing things first — it is the nation’s first school of education and social policy, home to the country’s first doctoral programs in human development and social policy, learning sciences and the first dual degree master's program in applied economics and social and economic policy. SESP recently launched a new master’s degree in technology, people, and policy in fall 2025.
Anchored by a faculty that includes 18 members of the National Academy of Education and scholars working across disciplines from learning sciences to economics to political science, SESP has remained focused on understanding how people learn and using that knowledge to improve lives.
The School of Education and Social Policy tied for second with the University of Florida and the University of Michigan in the 2026 rankings, behind the University of Wisconsin Madison, which was ranked first for the second year in a row. Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College was ranked No. 5, and seven schools tied for No. 6.
“I’m grateful to see hard work being recognized,” said School of Education and Social Policy Dean Bryan McKinely Jones Brayboy. “SESP is a wonderful place for interdisciplinary research, teaching and community engagement. Every week is a reminder that we have an extraordinary group of faculty, students and staff working to produce meaningful and important scholarship, be inspiring teachers, and be part of this special place.”
Originally a traditional school of education, the name was changed to the School of Education and Social Policy in 1986 to broaden the mission and emphasize that education, learning, and human thriving take place in the home, the community, and the workplace -- as well as the school.
SESP broke into the top ten US News rankings in 2001-02 and has remained in the top 15 every year since then. Its consistent designation as one of the top schools in the nation reflects its commitment to interdisciplinary work, research, and innovation.
Our faculty includes:
- Two winners of the Yidan Prize for Education Research, one of the largest education awards in the world.
- 13 fellows of American Educational Research Association
- 9 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
U.S. News evaluated education schools on research activity, academic excellence of entering students, faculty resources, and opinions on program quality from education school deans and school hiring professionals.