U.S. News ranks TU's grad programs among nation's best

By Sean Welsh on March 12, 2019

Already recognized as one of the nation's best bargains and one of the best public institutions on the East Coast, Towson University on Tuesday was recognized for having some of the top graduate programming in the nation.

In particular, TU was recognized for its overall education programming for graduate students via the College of Education, as well as a physician assistant studies program through the College of Health Professions.

Both programs are pillars for providing the State of Maryland with much-needed skill sets. TU remains the state's largest producer of health professionals and educators.

U.S. News & World Report ranked Towson University's Master's program for education as the No. 105 overall in the nation — up slightly from its last ranking on the subject. That ranking takes into consideration all disciplines under education studies.

While in recent years, TU has been recognized repeatedly for its academic offerings in the STEM and health professions fields, the university first known as the Maryland State Normal School for Teachers remains a preeminent institution to become a top-tier educator.

The Master of Arts in Teaching degree can be obtained in a year via a full-time course load, but credits are also offered part-time.

TU was ranked among the likes of Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, Penn State, University of Delaware, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

The U.S. News rankings broke down offerings under a series of subcategories. Education was one of them.

Under the Health Specialties category, TU came in at No. 126 for Physician Assistant Studies, a masters program offered in conjunction with CCBC-Essex.

Physician assistants are highly skilled health care providers. This collaborative program offered through the Towson University/CCBC-Essex is designed for students with completed bachelor’s or Master’s degrees. Full-time, continuous enrollment is required throughout the 99-credit, 26-month program.

Others ranked for physician assistant programming included Duke, Drexel, Rutgers and Northwestern.

U.S. News & World Report has recognized TU in the past, as well.

Here's a look at some recent rankings bestowed upon TU:

• The U.S. News & World Report 2018 America’s Best Colleges guide ranked Towson University 10th in the public Regional Universities (North) category, up from 14th last year.
• In addition, TU is 23rd on the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges for Veterans” rankings and 57th on its “Best Value Schools” ranking.
• Money magazine ranked Towson University among the nation’s Best Colleges, joining Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland, College Park, as the highest-ranked institutions in Maryland.
• Forbes again named Towson University in its 2017 Best Colleges rankings.
• TU was ranked as one of 123 "voter-friendly campuses" in the U.S.

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel’s priorities for Towson University: Strategic Plan Alignment.