Today US News & World Report published the 2025 edition of “Best Graduate Schools.” This year, the rankings include “2025 Best Library and Information Studies Programs.”

The Master of Information (MI) Program offered by the Library and Information Science Department (iSchool) at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information (SC&I) has been ranked nationally overall number six (tied with Syracuse University and the University of Texas-Austin), maintaining its previous ranking from 2022.

Three MI program specializations are ranked higher in 2025 than they were in 2022. This year, the MI Program rankings are: #1 in School Library Media (up from #2); #2 in Services for Children and Youth (up from #3); #4 in Information Systems (up from #10, and tied with University of Illinois -Urbana and the University of Michigan); and #10 in Digital Librarianship. This year, a new ranking, Archives and Preservation, was added, and the MI graduate program was ranked #11.

SC&I Interim Dean Dafna Lemish said, “the rankings that were just released confirm what we know – our Master of Information is a top quality program, led by prominent scholars and professionals and offering our talented students an excellent education. Today, more than ever, library and information science remain critical disciplines for our society. I am very proud of our standing in the field!”

According to U.S. News & World Report, the methodology used to determine the 2025 Best Library and Information Studies Programs included “ranking 56 master's degree programs in library and information studies that were accredited by the American Library Association as of summer 2024.

“The latest ranking published in 2025 is based solely on the results of a fall 2024 and early 2025 survey that U.S. News sent to each program's dean, director, and a senior faculty member. The peer assessment questionnaires asked respondents to rate the academic quality of programs at other institutions on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding). Those unfamiliar with a particular school's programs were asked to select ‘don't know.’ Responses of ‘don't know’ counted neither for nor against a school. Scores for each school were determined by computing a trimmed mean – eliminating the two highest and two lowest 1 to 5 ratings from all respondents. Scores for each school were then totaled and divided by the number of respondents who rated that school to produce each program's average peer assessment score. The response rate was 54%. Schools in the library and information studies ranking, which is based solely on a 5.0 peer assessment score, are numerically ranked from highest to lowest based on their average score.”

While U.S. News Rankings recognizes that it’s not possible to quantify all of the attributes of every university ranked or measure every consideration that could impact a student’s decision to choose one graduate school over another, U.S. News & World Report  wrote, “A school’s rank should be one consideration – not the lone determinant – in where a student applies. The rankings reflect the peer assessments of academic quality, but other considerations involving location, environment, strength of different fields, cost after tuition and financial aid, and job attainment are also very important.”

Chair of the Library and Information Science Department and Associate Professor Rebecca Reynolds said, "It's great to see the Rutgers LIS department and iSchool maintain a standing in the latest rankings, and to be placed among such fine peer iSchools in these lists. I especially love seeing our rise in placement for the Information Systems area, and newly ranked position in Archives & Preservation. Our new hires starting this Fall 2025 will only add to our shine in these key areas! Kudos to our faculty and program directors for all the teamwork that fosters department success."

Learn more about the Master of Information Program on the Rutgers School of Communication and Information website.