According to the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 rankings, which were released earlier this month, the La Follette School ranks 21st among the country’s public affairs graduate schools. The school moved up two spots since last year and is tied for first for small public policy graduate schools with fewer than 200 graduate students. La Follette was again ranked fifth in the social policy subcategory and 17th in public policy analysis. With the benefits of a tight-knit, supportive community and access to the resources of a large research university, La Follette continues to be a small school with an outsized impact.
Within the past year, the school has hired four new faculty to grow its teaching and research capacity: Silvia Barcellos studies health care and labor economics, Myriam Grégoire-Zawilski focuses on environmental and energy policy, Amber Wichowsky researches civic engagement and civic dialogue, and Jason Delborne’s focus is science and technology policy.
La Follette’s curriculum emphasizes hands-on learning experiences, with opportunities to address public policy challenges with real-world clients. The projects also give students exposure to potential career connections. “I was drawn to the La Follette School because of the rigor of the program and the unique networking opportunities the program gives its students in the policy space,” says MPA-MPH student Eli Tsarovsky.
The school has expanded its offerings in this area with a recent grant from Ascendium Education Group, which is helping the school bolster its high-impact classroom experiences, scale up course design, and connect students and employers.
The La Follette School also offers students unique opportunities to make connections with alumni and supporters. In the past year, the school has hosted site visits with the Wisconsin’s Legislative Reference Bureau, Legislative Audit Bureau, Legislative Fiscal Bureau, and Department of Health Services as well as Epic Systems. Over 40 graduate students and staff also attended numerous site visits to public-sector, private-sector, and nonprofit organizations as part of a January trip to Washington, D.C.
A highly customizable curriculum, with double and dual degree options available in public health, law, neuroscience, and urban and regional planning and certificates in energy analysis and business, draws many students to the school’s MPA and MIPA programs. “As a prospective student, I was struck by how knowledgeable and kind La Follette alumni are,” says MPA student Francie Fink, who is also pursuing a certificate in energy analysis and policy. “I was equally impressed by the program’s strong career support and the chance to work on real-world, project-based courses. Since joining, I have gained a deep understanding of how to thoughtfully use both quantitative and qualitative data to support critical thinking and decision-making. I am proud to be part of this community!”
“While rankings are only one factor in the decision to join the La Follette School, I am pleased that our strong rankings reflect the excellence of our graduate programs and the hard work of our faculty and staff in preparing future policy leaders,” says La Follette School Director Susan Webb Yackee.