As it marks the 10th anniversary of its naming, the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University continues to build national momentum, earning strong results in the latest U.S. News & World Report 2026 graduate school rankings.
The newest 2026 rankings show the Schar School standing out especially among public universities. Across the seven specialty areas in which its Master of Public Administration program is ranked, all seven place among the top 25 public institutions in the nation, including three in the top 10. In Virginia, George Mason ranks No. 1 among public universities in six of the seven specialty areas. In the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region, the Schar School ranks No. 1 among public institutions in four categories and places in the top five across all seven.
That strength among publics also carries over nationally. Five of the seven specialty areas rank within the top 30 in the country: Homeland Security at No. 4, International Global Policy at No. 15, Nonprofit Management at No. 12, Public Management and Leadership at No. 25, and Public Policy Analysis at No. 29. All seven specialty areas rank within the top 50 nationally.
The Schar School also posted strong results in International Global Policy and Public Finance and Budgeting. International Global Policy ranked No. 15, tied with Cornell and Brown, while Public Finance and Budgeting ranked No. 31, tied with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Overall, the Schar School performed strongly across the rankings tied to its Master of Public Administration program, with five of the seven specialty areas placing within the top 30 nationally. These include Homeland Security at No. 4, International Global Policy at No. 15, Nonprofit Management at No. 12, Public Management and Leadership at No. 25, and Public Policy Analysis at No. 29. All seven specialty areas rank within the top 50 nationally, and all seven place within the top 25 among public universities, including three in the top 10.
“From homeland security and nonprofit management to global policy, public policy analysis and public finance, these rankings reflect the breadth of the Schar School’s excellence and the growing national and international recognition of its strengths,” said founding Dean Mark J. Rozell.