ASHLAND — U.S. News & World Report has recognized Ashland University’s Dwight Schar College of Education as a 2026 Best Graduate School,
In addition, Ashland’s MBA program within the Dauch College of Business and Economics earned a series of specialty rankings from the media company for the first time.
Designed for prospective students seeking professional growth and new career opportunities, 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.
Ashland’s graduate education program was one of just nine within the state of Ohio, and one of 263 overall, to earn a Best Education School distinction, according to a community announcement.
“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 in a news release. “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.”
U.S. News’ Best Business School rankings are the result of a comparison of MBA programs on their career attainment success, student excellence and qualitative assessments by experts. New in 2026, it supplemented the overall rankings with 13 specialized subject rankings, and Ashland’s MBA program excelled, particularly compared to its statewide peers, earning spots in more than half of the categories:
“It is a great honor for our MBA and many of our specializations to be recognized as some of the best options in Ohio by U.S. News,” said Lance Kaltenbaugh, interim dean of AU’s Dauch College of Business and Economics. “This is more evidence that the graduate students of our MBA program are being well prepared by our outstanding faculty to excel and make an impact in their chosen field.”
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Ashland University’s graduate programs recognized by U.S. News
Reporting by Staff Report / Ashland Times Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
