Santa Clara University Graduate Programs Climb in U.S. News Rankings
Part-time MBA program rises to No. 22; Executive MBA program jumps to No. 13; and IP Law program retains No. 4 spot in the nation.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 12, 2019—Santa Clara University’s graduate-level programs in technology and international law; entrepreneurship; finance; and marketing earned strong votes of confidence in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings.
Many of the graduate programs offered by the Silicon Valley-based private Jesuit University ranked in the top percentiles among all U.S. graduate-level universities. That includes the intellectual-property law program at Santa Clara University School of Law, which ranked No. 4–the top 3 percent—in the nation, and the part-time MBA program at the Leavey School of Business at No. 22 out of 287, in the top 8 percent.
“We are extremely proud of the outstanding quality of our professional programs as confirmed by the latest U.S. News & World Report graduate school rankings,” said Dennis Jacobs, provost of Santa Clara University. “Our faculty’s continuous efforts to enhance curricula and experiential learning opportunities has produced rigorous and relevant graduate programs that reflect the innovative spirit of Silicon Valley.”
Business
The part-time MBA program at the Leavey School of Business rose 17 spots to No. 22 in the nation, No. 2 in the Bay Area, and fourth-best in California.
And for the first time, several specialty MBA programs offered by the Leavey School of Business were included in selective rankings issued by U.S. News. The list of top specialty MBA programs is compiled by asking business school deans and directors of MBA programs to select up to 15 programs known for excellence in those areas.
The Leavey School’s Executive MBA program for the first time was ranked No. 13 in the nation—beating out programs at Yale University, University of Southern California, and Emory University, among others—for its 20-month, nights-and-weekend MBA program catering to working professionals.
The Leavey School’s graduate program in marketing was ranked No. 17 for the first time; its program in finance was ranked No. 16, up from No. 23 last year; while its information systems program was ranked No. 23 and its entrepreneurship program No. 24.
“We are delighted that our peers in graduate business education are recognizing the strength of our offerings in areas vital to our Silicon Valley environment: entrepreneurship, finance, and marketing among them,” said Caryn Beck-Dudley, dean of the Leavey School of Business. “We have worked very closely with our industry advisors to make sure our curriculum is relevant, forward-looking, and flexible for the fast-paced environment our graduates face.”
Law
Once again, Santa Clara University School of Law was ranked the fourth-best in the nation for its intellectual property program, out of 192 law schools offering such programs. That top 3-percent showing reflects the school’s strong curriculum and experiential opportunities in fields such as patent, privacy, and entrepreneurial law.
The law school’s international program, recently hailed in a story in PreLaw Magazine, had a strong premiere showing on the list of best international programs, placing in the top quartile—No. 40 out of 192—of such programs nationwide.
As it did last year, the school ranked No. 40 among law schools that offer part-time programs catering to working students. The school’s full-time J.D. program rose nine spots this year to No. 104 out of nearly 200 ABA-accredited schools, after having jumped 19 spots last year.
The school also had a strong showing in environmental law, coming in 65th out of 188 schools. Its dispute resolution program ranked No. 65; clinical programs No. 98; and health law program No. 101.
“We are thrilled for this recognition of our longstanding strength in IP law, as well as our international law program and our dedication to offering a top-quality legal education to small, high-achieving classes of students,” said Lisa Kloppenberg, dean of Santa Clara Law. “We see these recent elevations in our rank as the beginning, as we continue to innovate and develop more competency-based programming to really prepare our students for emerging needs in the job market.”
Engineering
The School of Engineering rose four spots, to No. 128, among 192 schools. The school showed improvement in its peer assessment rating; GRE scores of its accepted students; and a more-selective acceptance rate.
The latest rankings can be found in this year’s U.S. News & World Report Best Business Schools 2020 issue and on its Graduate Schools Compass website.
More about Leavey School of Business can be found on the School’s website.
More about Santa Clara Law can be found on the School’s website.
About Santa Clara University
Founded in 1851, Santa Clara University sits in the heart of Silicon Valley—the world’s most innovative and entrepreneurial region. The University’s stunningly landscaped 106-acre campus is home to the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís. Ranked the No. 1 regional university in the West by U.S. News & World Report, SCU has among the best four-year graduation rates in the nation and is rated by PayScale in the top 1 percent of universities with the highest-paid graduates. SCU has produced elite levels of Fulbright Scholars as well as four Rhodes Scholars. With undergraduate programs in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, and graduate programs in six disciplines, the curriculum blends high-tech innovation with social consciousness grounded in the tradition of Jesuit, Catholic education. For more information see www.scu.edu.
Media Contact
Deborah Lohse | SCU Media Communications | dlohse@scu.edu | 408-554-5121