SDSU Speech-Language Pathology graduate program soars to 12th nationally
Several SDSU programs improved in year-over-year rankings demonstrating the university's growing competitive nature.
usSan Diego State University’s master’s degree program in speech-language pathology is No. 12 in the nation and the College of Education is No. 48, according to new rankings of graduate schools by U.S. News & World Report.
Released Tuesday, both numbers improve upon the most recent previous rankings for those programs. The speech-language pathology program climbed up from its last highest ranking in 2020 at No. 25, and the ranking for the College of Education is one slot higher than the program’s best placement set last year.
Ignatius Nip, director of the SDSU School of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences said the M.A. program stands out in several ways.
“We have emphasized training all speech-language pathologists (SLPs) on how to assess and treat speech, language, and communication disorders in people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds,” Nip said.
“We also have strong relationships and collaborations with the greater San Diego community which provides our students with ample opportunities to gain clinical experience in a wide range of settings,” he added.
The program’s partnerships include local public schools, acute care hospitals, medical outpatient facilities and private practice.
U.S. News publishes rankings in some categories of college education annually; others are issued on an irregular basis.
The No. 48 position for the College of Education is its highest ever from U.S. News.
"The steady ascent of our college in recent years is very gratifying, but it comes as no surprise," said Y. Barry Chung, dean of the College of Education. “Our reputation for teaching, research and community impact has been well known here in the San Diego region for decades. I'm delighted the secret now seems to be out among our national peers, as well."
The part-time MBA program in the Fowler College of Business is No. 53, matching the ranking it received in 2021 and 15 steps higher than last year.
Among other SDSU graduate school rankings of note for 2024:
The School of Public Health is No. 29 in the nation, audiology is No. 30 and physical therapy is No. 53.
The nursing program, in the College of Health and Human Services is listed at No. 55, its highest ranking in at least five years. The social work program is No. 51.
“Over the last three years, the School of Nursing has made concerted efforts to address the national nursing shortage by expanding our pre-licensure, ADN to BSN, and graduate programs to meet the nursing workforce needs of San Diego and Imperial Counties,” said Karen Macauley, professor and director of the school.
The school “has been fortunate to secure significant state and federal funding to conduct nursing research and develop pipelines into our Bachelor's and Graduate Nursing programs,” she said.
Macauley added: “We have committed to inspire compassionate, ethical and visionary nurse leaders and achieve excellence and innovation in nursing education, practice, and research while advancing the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities.”
Jeff Ristine, Peggy Pico and Michael Klitzing contributed to this article. This article will be updated to include rankings for the SDSU/University of California San Diego joint doctoral program in clinical psychology upon publication by U.S. News, which were delayed.
