ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University’s Dwight Schar College of Education has been selected as a 2025 Best Graduate School by U.S. News & World Report, as announced Tuesday by the media company that is widely respected for its education rankings.
Designed for prospective students looking to further their education beyond college, the Best Graduate Schools rankings evaluated programs in a variety of disciplines. Within education, U.S. News evaluated schools on research activity, academic excellence of entering students, faculty resources and opinions on program quality from education school deans and school hiring professionals.
“We are very pleased to receive this recognition from U.S. News again,” stated Lisa Vernon-Dotson, dean of AU’s Dwight Schar College of Education. “It is recognition such as this that confirms what we already know at Ashland; our programs continue to prepare graduate students to meet the needs of our P-12 partners by helping them develop and enhance their skill sets across various advanced educational programs.”
Ashland was one of 258 schools across the country to earn a Best Education School distinction and one of just 11 within the state of Ohio.
“The 2025 Best Graduate rankings are more than numbers; they guide students to determine pathways that align with their goals,” said LaMont Jones, senior editor of education at U.S. News. “When students have substantial data and options, they can make informed decisions to generate transformative life opportunities. U.S. News rankings and data lead students to find the perfect program where they can flourish.”
One example of AU’s Dwight Schar College of Education preparing graduate students to excel is Daneé Pinckney, who earned an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction in 2019 and last summer was selected as the 2025 Ohio Teacher of the Year.
For more information about all of AU’s highly-regarded graduate education programs, visit ashland.edu/graduate-programs-education.
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month.