New ranking shows which Georgia graduate programs are best in U.S.

From Dawgs to Yellow Jackets to Owls, Georgia’s graduate programs are among the best in the nation, according to a new ranking.

The study released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report breaks down graduate programs into six categories— business, law, engineering, education, medicine and nursing —and ranks them.

The 2018 analysis weighs factors like employment rates and starting salaries, along with standardized test scores of newly enrolled students. Because engineering is different from law, the listings each have their own methodologies.

Specific programs were ranked by heads of similar departments at other schools or professionals doing that job.

Here’s how Georgia’s schools fared nationally:

Emory University employs about 300 foreign workers with H-1B visas, and they are crucial to its research work, officials with the school say. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM

Emory University

• No. 3, physician assistant (master's)
• No. 4, nursing (master's)
• No. 5, physical therapy (master's/doctorate)
• No. 7, public health (master's/doctorate)
• No. 8, nurse practitioner (family)
• No. 20, business
• No. 22, law school
• No. 23, medical school (research)
• No. 24, political science
• No. 34 medical school (primary care)
• Among the most diverse law schools with a 14 percent Asian-American population as its largest percentage of minorities

Georgia College & State University: Out of 4,330 applicants, 2,834 were admitted for an acceptance rate of 65 percent at this liberal arts public campus in Milledgeville, Ga.​ To learn how to enhance your high school student's chances of getting into college, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog. And for advice on what to do now that your student has been accepted, click here. ​

Georgia College & State University

• No. 131, nursing

Georgia Tech’s Ramblin’ Wreck leads the band, cheerleaders, Buzz, players, and coaches before the start of the Georgia Tech season opener against the Alcorn State Braves in Bobby Dodd Stadium on Thursday, September 3, 2015. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM

Georgia Institute of Technology

• No. 1, engineering (industrial/manufacturing/systems)
• No. 2, engineering (civil)
• No. 2, engineering (aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical)
• No. 3, engineering (biomedical/bioengineering)
• No. 7, engineering
• No. 10, business (information systems)
• No. 29, business school
• No. 30, part-time MBA programs
• No. 45, psychology

Georgia State University

• No. 7, law (health law)
• No. 11, business (information systems)
• No. 11, part-time law school
• No. 46, part-time MBA programs
• No. 48, education
• No. 65, law
• No. 112, nursing
• Among the most diverse law schools with a 12 percent African-American population as its largest percentage of minorities

Mercer University received an overall score of 60.3 out of 100 points in the new 2016 Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education college rankings.

Mercer University

• No. 9, law (legal writing)
• No. 97, nursing (master's)
• No. 134, law school

Kennesaw State wore their new matte black football helmets against Clark Atlanta after debuting them a week prior against Monmouth University, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. (Cory Hancock for the AJC)

Kennesaw State University

• No. 28, part-time business school

040821 - ATHENS, GA -- Mike 'BIG DAWG' Woods(cq) of Colbert, Georgia shows off his University of Georgia football spirit with a picture of Georgia mascot Uga painted on his scalp during a meet and greet day for Georgia fans to meet the University of Georgia football team at the Classic Center in downtown Athens, Georgia. (BILLY SMITH II/AJC staff)