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School of Public Affairs ranks in top tier by U.S. News and World Report


March 19, 2012

The U.S. News and World Report recently highlighted the best graduate programs in the nation and the ASU School of Public Affairs once again ranked in the top tier. The school that historically has been a premier program in metropolitan governance was ranked 2nd in the country for its city management and urban policy program.

In the newest issue of “America’s Best Graduate Schools,” the ASU School of Public Affairs graduate program ranked 16th nationally among nearly 300 schools considered in the 2013 report and among the top 10 public institutions. The March 13 report also listed the school among the top five universities in the western United States.

“We are delighted with the recognition of our program in public administration and public policy,” said Jonathan Koppell, dean of the College of Public Programs and the director of the School of Public Affairs. “We pride ourselves on offering a strong foundation in core areas of administration while offering windows onto the future of governance with distinctive initiatives in policy informatics and participatory governance.

The recognition of the school’s strength in urban management is particularly noteworthy. Long-known for training the most professional and skilled city managers in the nation, the ASU School of Public Affairs is now distinguished by its partnership in the Alliance for Innovation, an organization that connects the school with a national network of innovative city managers. And its Marvin Andrews Fellowship is an elite program drawing applicants from across the United States.

“It is hard to think of a better place to prepare oneself to run a 21st century city than ASU,” Koppell said.

The school also did well on the report’s “specialties” list. In addition to the school’s program in city management and urban policy ranking second, it is considered among the top 20 programs in environmental policy and management, nonprofit management, public finance and budgeting, and public management and administration.

The U.S. News and World Report annually ranks professional school programs in business, education, engineering, law and medicine, as well as graduate programs.

The ASU School of Public Affairs is in the College of Public Programs. For more information visit http://spa.asu.edu/