FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Sam M. Walton College of Business and the School of Law at the University of Arkansas have both been ranked in the top tier of programs in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2011 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools.

The full-time Master of Business Administration program in Walton College was ranked in 25^th place among the nation’s public graduate business schools. The part-time or managerial M.B.A. program was also ranked at 25 among public graduate business schools. Both programs are in the college’s Graduate School of Business and were ranked 50^th and 51^st respectively among both public and private business schools.

The School of Law is tied for 45^th place among public law schools and 86^th place overall. This marks the second consecutive year it has been ranked in the top tier of the nation’s law schools and among the 50 top public law schools in the nation. The school’s overall ranking improved by eight positions since last year and 22 spots since the 2008 rankings were released.

“These outstanding rankings are a testament to the great work being done by Dean Worrell and Dean Nance, as well as by the excellent faculty and students in Walton College and the School of Law,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “This recognition is proof of what their hard work has accomplished, and that their academic peers, as well as people in the law and business professions, are taking notice. It almost goes without saying that these improvements and this recognition are also a great benefit for the state of Arkansas.”

U.S. News’ graduate business program rankings are based primarily on a peer assessment score, a recruiter assessment score, graduate placement success, mean starting salaries and bonuses for graduates, employment rates for full-time programs, student selectivity, mean GMAT scores, mean undergraduate GPAs, and program acceptance rates.

In 2006, the Graduate School of Business redesigned its M.B.A. programs to give students an applied understanding of the retail and consumer packaged goods industry. The school offers career tracks in retail marketing, entrepreneurship and innovation, supply chain management and financial management. In 2007, the Walton College opened a state-of-the-art graduate building, Willard J. Walker Hall.

 “We are thrilled that our graduate programs are included in the U.S. News rankings for the first time in several years,” said Dan Worrell, dean of the Walton College. “These rankings parallel the rankings of our undergraduate programs. This is amazing progress for our M.B.A. programs and reflects all the investments we’ve made in the program over the past several years.”

For law schools U.S. News’ ranking methodology focuses on several factors, including a peer assessment score, an assessment by lawyers and judges, the student/faculty ratio, post-graduation employment rates and bar exam passage rates.

“We are very pleased to learn that the School of Law once again has been recognized as one of the nation’s best law schools,” said Cynthia Nance, dean of the School of Law. “It’s heartening to know that the legal community and our peers recognize the extraordinary efforts of our faculty, alumni and students.”

Second-year law student Brittney Flinn added, “It is so exciting to see the law school jump in the rankings, even in the short time I have been in school. The top-tier ranking opens up so many new doors for students at the law school because, along with the local recognition we get from the firms in Arkansas, now we are recognized by a broader audience of potential employers.”