The University of San Diego jumped in Graduate School rankings in the 2023 U.S. News and World Report’s latest look at major American universities.
In the influential national magazine’s newly released list of America’s Best Law Schools, USD rose from #86 to #64.
USD’s Knauss School of Business also improved its ranking, going from #92 on the list to #85.
The full-time MBA program at the USD’s Knauss School of Business earned the #1 spot for MBA programs in San Diego – and #9 in all of California.
“We are pleased that the tremendous strengths of our faculty, staff and students are reflected in the increase in the U.S. News rankings by 22 points to a rank of 64,” said Robert Schapiro, dean and C. Hugh Friedman Professor of Law at the University of San Diego.
Exceptional Legal Education
“We realize that there are many ways to assess the caliber of a law school,” Schapiro added. “More important than any one ranking are the overall excellence of our law school community and the exceptional legal education we offer.”
“We are committed to continuing to support and enhance these qualities to support the next generation of lawyers who make a difference in our communities every day,” said Schapiro.
$50M Donation
In December 2021, USD officials announced that Board Chairman Donald Knauss and his wife Ellie Knauss had donated more than $50 million to build the Knauss Center for Business Education – and also to rename USD’s business school the Knauss School of Business.
“This is our investment in educating ethical and compassionate business leaders — leaders who enable a free enterprise system that creates wealth on a fair and equitable playing field,” Don Knauss, former CEO of Clorox, told the San Diego Business Journal.
The Knauss Center for Business Education will officially open in Fall 2022. The new 120,000-square-foot building — together with the renovated Olin Hall — will more than triple the size of The Knauss School of Business.
“The Knauss School of Business has created the Knauss San Diego MBA, a completely redesigned curriculum embedded with consulting projects, study abroad, industry-specific networking and the ability to map your degree requirements to your experience and passion,” said Tim Keane, dean of the Knauss School of Business.
The Knauss School of Business’ MBA program is already ranked #50 as a top Global MBA by the Financial Times.
Rankings an Aid for Prospective Grad Students
According to the U.S. News & World Report, the rankings are designed for prospective students looking to further their education beyond college.
The Best Graduate Schools rankings evaluate programs in a variety of disciplines, including business, education, engineering, law, medicine and nursing.
Prospective students can see how the University of San Diego compares to other institutions and how the rankings are calculated on USNews.com.
With more than 9,000 students from 69 countries and 50 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States.
Eight Academic Divisions
The university’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education.
As the private Roman Catholic research university looks ahead to its 75th anniversary in 2024, USD’s ‘Envisioning 2024’ strategic plan capitalizes on the university’s recent progress and aligns new strategic goals with current strengths to help shape a vision for the institution’s future.
University of San Diego
Founded: 1949
President: James T. Harris III
Students: 9,000+
Business: Higher education
Website: www.sandiego.edu
Campus location: Alcala Park
Notable: First chartered as the independent San Diego College for Women and San Diego University, the academic institutions merged in 1972 into the University of San Diego.