Five San Antonio universities are earning new national acclaim in a just-released report of the best graduate schools in the U.S. for 2026. U.S. News & World Report annually publishes its national "Best Graduate Schools" rankings in early April, which comprehensively rank graduate programs across business, education, engineering, law, health, and many other fields.

New for the 2026 edition, the publication updated its rankings across 12 health disciplines — physician assistant and social work were excluded — and "the first full refresh" of doctoral science programs since 2022. U.S. News also revived its Master's in Fine Arts rankings for the first time since 2020.

"We know a graduate degree is a major commitment,” said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor of Education at U.S. News. “That is why we are dedicated to methodologies that thoroughly examine a wide range of factors, from research excellence to career success. These rankings are a powerful tool for prospective students, offering clarity and confidence as they approach their most critical educational choice."

This is how the five local schools ranked, statewide and nationally, and how they compared with last year's national ranking:

The University of Texas at San Antonio

• Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design – No. 9 best graduate engineering school in Texas; tied for No. 134 nationally (up from No. 136 last year)
• College of Education and Human Development – No. 8 best graduate education school in Texas; tied for No. 117 nationally (down from No. 114 last year)

UTSA’s occupational therapy program tied for 59th best in the U.S. this year, and the physical therapy program tied for No. 87 nationally. In the doctoral sciences rankings, UTSA’s statistics program ranked as the 92nd best in the nation, the chemistry program tied for No. 135 nationally, the biological sciences program tied for No. 142, and the physics program tied for No. 148 nationally. UTSA’s public affairs program tied for No. 157 nationally. The university also has the 143rd-best fine arts program in the country.

University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio)

• Long School of Medicine – Tier 2 best research medical school in the U.S.

UT Health San Antonio’s nurse anesthesia program tied for No. 78 nationally, and the speech-language pathology program tied for No. 139.

St. Mary’s University

• School of Law – No. 8 best law school in Texas; No. 150 nationally (down from No. 148 last year)

Trinity University
Trinity’s health care management program tied for No. 23 nationally.

University of the Incarnate Word
UIW’s health care management program ranked as the 52nd best in the country, and its pharmacy program tied for 87th best nationally.