The graduate programs at Iowa State were listed among the nation’s best in the U.S. News and World Report magazine’s annual issue, America’s Best Graduate Schools.

“We expect … that rankings will continue to be strong, in part because of our ongoing attention to improving Iowa State as a university for graduate studies,” said William Graves, associate dean of the Graduate College.

The College of Engineering ranked No. 43 overall and No. 25 among public universities with biological/agricultural engineering leading at No. 5 overall and No. 4 among public universities.

“Within agricultural and biosystems engineering, we have developed a reputation for high-quality research and innovative solutions to agricultural issues with tremendous support from commodity and industrial partners,” said Steven Hoff, a professor within the department of agriculture and biosystems engineering.

Other rankings were listed as follows: The College of Business ranked No. 64 overall (No. 33 among public universities), the school of education ranked No. 92 overall (No. 70 among public universities), and fine arts ranked No. 93 overall (No. 58 among public universities). Public affairs ranked No. 104 overall and part-time Master of Business Administration ranked No. 180 overall.

“Rankings like these help us remember that we should regularly assess what our goals are and then devise measures of how well we are achieving our goals,” Graves said. “This can lead to focused efforts to improve in areas where we may have weaknesses.”

The magazine reviews programs in business, education, engineering, law and medicine. They do not review all disciplines each year, so other area’s rankings — like analytical chemistry — remain the same from previous years.

“Although the ratings are interesting, it’s important to point out that a good student who is matched with an effective faculty mentor [or major professor] can excel in any graduate program at Iowa State, regardless of how that program is rated,” Graves said.

Graves said the graduate programs at Iowa State are less structured than undergraduate programs because they are made to fit the needs of each student within the programs. A committee of faculty advisers helps each student focus his or education to meet his or her personal goals.

Iowa State continues to build on its strong foundation for graduate programs by having faculty and students who are aiming to succeed and by creating new programs, like a newly proposed interdisciplinary graduate program in wind energy.