The Master of Information (MI) program at the Library and Information Science Department within the School of Communication and Information has been ranked number seven (out of 40 national universities ranked) on the “Library & Information Studies” top schools list in U.S. News and World Report’s 2018 edition of “Best Graduate Schools.”

Rankings for the MI graduate program specializations are as follows: number one in the “School Library Media” category (tied with Florida State University), number six for “Digital Librarianship,” number eight for “Information Systems,” and number six for “Services for Children and Youth.”

SC&I’s Dean Jonathan Potter said, “I am delighted that the U.S. News rankings recognized both the depth and breadth of our scholarship and teaching in Library and Information Science.”

The 2018 U.S. News Rankings were last updated in 2013. According to U.S. News and World Report, “The rankings . . . are based on two types of data,: expert opinions about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students. The data come from statistical surveys sent to administrators at more than 1,970 graduate programs and from reputation surveys sent to more than 16,000 academics and professionals in the disciplines. The surveys were conducted during the fall of 2016 and in early 2017.”

While U.S. News Rankings recognizes that it’s not possible for them to quantify all of the attributes of every university ranked, or measure every consideration that will impact a student’s decision to choose one graduate school over another, U.S. News and World Report states that their graduate school rankings can help students weigh “concrete factors such as faculty-student ratio and placement success upon graduation.” 

Associate Professor and Chair of the Library and Information Studies (LIS) Department Ross Todd, said, “We are very proud of our continuing high rankings in the LIS field. Our Master of Information program is underpinned by a faculty whose scholarship and teaching provide a quality foundation for the diverse library and information professions.  We strive to address the changing information landscape, and this accomplishment is recognized by our peers in LIS education across the country." 

The School of Communication and Information (SC&I) at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in New Brunswick, N.J., seeks to understand communication, information, and media processes, organizations, and technologies as they affect individuals, societies, and the relationships among them. We are committed to educating individuals who make lasting contributions to society and to the interdisciplinary study and professional practice of communication journalism and media, and library and information science.

Click here for more information about SC&I’s Master of Information, Ph.D. program, or Library and Information Science Department.