Kansas University has two graduate-degree programs ranked No. 1 among public universities nationwide, according to results of an annual magazine survey to be released today.

U.S. News & World Report’s annual “America’s Best Graduate Schools” report ranks KU’s master’s program in city management and urban policy No. 1 nationwide among public schools, along with the master’s and doctoral programs in special education. Both programs held the top spot last year as well.

In all, KU has 24 graduate programs ranked in the top 25 nationally among public universities and 12 in the top 10.

KU highlighted the fact that four graduate programs moved up in national rankings this year:

¢ Education moved from 15th last year to 12th this year. Rick Ginsberg, dean of the School of Education, attributed it in part to a 17 percent rise in research funding.

¢ Biological sciences – which includes the departments of molecular biosciences and ecology and evolutionary biology – jumped from 56th last year to 30th this year.

¢ The School of Law climbed one spot to 34th among public universities.

¢ Petroleum engineering climbed one spot to seventh among public universities.

The rankings are based on factors including assessments by peer schools and employers, students’ scores on standardized tests, student-to-faculty ratio and the level of research expenditures.