Brandeis Magazine

U.S. News & World Report has ranked the Heller School for Social Policy and Management among the top public affairs graduate schools in two specialty categories: social policy, and health policy and management.

The 2025 rankings lift Heller from No. 14 to No. 9 in social policy. In the health policy and management category, Heller is ranked No. 13.

Social policy, and health policy and management are specialty areas within the public affairs category; the broader category ranks Heller among the top 21% of U.S. graduate schools.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on a survey of deans, directors, and department chairs at 271 graduate schools of public affairs across the U.S.

“Heller’s legacy is one of innovation and dedication to making the world a more equitable place,” says interim dean Maria Madison. “Every day, our faculty and researchers commit themselves to improving health-care access; promoting racial and economic equity; and advocating for improvements in disability rights, child poverty, and workforce and labor market conditions.”

This year marks Heller’s 65th anniversary. Launched in 1959 with a single doctoral program, Heller now supports several master’s degrees spanning global and domestic social policy, and nine research centers and institutes.