Washington, D.C. (April 7, 2026) –American University’s School of Public Affairs (SPA) is ranked No. 12 overall in the 2026 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Public Affairs Schools rankings. This is the seventh consecutive year that SPA ranked among the top 5 percent of public affairs schools in the country, and the sixth year in a row that the school has held the distinction of the highest rated school in Washington, D.C.

“I am pleased that our peers around the country continue to recognize SPA as a top school of public affairs,” said SPA Interim Dean Alison Jacknowitz. “I am particularly excited to see our growth in nonprofit management, public policy analysis, public finance and budgeting, and social policy. These new rankings from U.S. News & World Report reflects our commitment to attracting and retaining talented faculty, supporting research, building graduate programs that challenge our students while building their skills, and meeting the current moment to prepare graduates that will serve the public good.”

SPA also received special recognition in several specialty areas, including three that earned recognition among the top five programs nationwide. Specialty areas include No. 3 for Nonprofit Management (up one spot from a year ago, and the highest ranked program of its kind in Washington, D.C.), No. 4 for Public Management & Leadership (also the highest ranked program of its kind in Washington, D.C.); No. 5 for International Policy & Global Administration; No. 11 in Public Policy Analysis (up one spot from last year); No. 12 in Public Finance & Budgeting (up one spot from last year); and No. 18 in Social Policy No. 18 in Social Policy (newly added this year, and also the highest ranked program of its kind in Washington, D.C.).

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are compiled through peer assessment surveys. Deans, directors, and department chairs representing 266 master’s programs in public affairs and administration were surveyed in fall 2025. Respondents were asked to rate the academic quality of a master’s program on a scale of marginal to outstanding. Rankings of specialty areas are based on ratings by educators at peer schools.

About American University School of Public Affairs
Established in 1934, American University's School of Public Affairs (SPA) is ranked No.12 in the nation (and first in the D.C. area) by U.S. News & World Report, offering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and executive-level programs to build and enhance careers in public service. The school offers a unique pairing of access to Washington, D.C. with world-renowned faculty and transformational research, driving progress in policy, politics, law, and public administration.