The Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota is considered the country’s ninth best school of public affairs, according to the latest annual survey of graduate and professional schools by US News & World Report. The Humphrey School’s nonprofit management program placed in the second spot for the second straight year, and its international/global program—a new specialty ranking added this year—placed tenth.

The results, released in the magazine’s Best Graduate Schools 2018 issue, place the Humphrey School program overall in the top 3.5% of 282 master’s degree programs in public affairs at US institutions. Several of the School’s specialty programs ranked in the top 10 percent.

“We are proud of our status among peer scholars and researchers as one of the country’s best places to study public affairs and public policy,” said Humphrey School Dean Laura Bloomberg. “What’s most exciting is the cohort of new students that we are looking forward to welcoming in fall 2018. As we strengthen our programs, and especially our international and global programs recognized by these newest rankings, our incoming student body becomes more diverse in life experiences and career interests—and that’s almost as important to students’ experience here as the quality of our instruction and research opportunities.”

This is the second year the Humphrey School as placed in the top ten overall rankings; last year it was ranked eight, up from 16 in 2012.

Humphrey School specialty programs with top 20 rankings include:

• Nonprofit management: No. 2
• International/global policy: No. 10 (new category)
• Public management and leadership: No. 11 (new category)
• Social policy: No. 12
• Public finance and budgeting: No. 20
• Public policy analysis: No. 20

The rankings are based on a survey of deans, directors, and department chairs representing the 282 master’s degree programs in public affairs and administration. Two surveys were sent to each school.

To read the full rankings, visit.usnews.com.