For its 2025 rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Heller School for Social Policy and Management among the top public affairs graduate schools in two specialty categories: social policy (where Heller has been top-ranked for over a decade) and health policy and management.
This year, Heller rose from #14 to #9 for social policy, ranking in the prestigious top 10 of its category, and ranked #13 for health policy and management.
Social policy and health policy and management are specialty areas within the public affairs category, where Heller ranks in the top 21% of graduate schools in the U.S. U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on a survey of deans, directors, and department chairs at 271 graduate schools of public affairs across the country.
“Heller’s legacy is one of innovation and dedication to making the world a more equitable place. As we continue to make profound contributions to the fields of social policy and health policy and management, we are cognizant of the changes that need to be made and how we can make them,” says Interim Dean Maria Madison. “Every day, our faculty and researchers commit themselves to improving health care access, promoting racial and economic equity, and advocating for improvements in disability rights, child poverty, and workforce and labor market conditions. It’s an honor to be recognized by our peer institutions for these efforts that impact meaningful change in our world.”
Led by the motto “knowledge advancing social justice,” Heller is a nationally-recognized research and educational institution at Brandeis University. The school, celebrating its 65th anniversary year in 2024, has expanded from a single doctoral program to include several master’s degrees spanning global and domestic social policy. Heller is also home to nine research centers and institutes renowned for conducting applied interdisciplinary research and active public engagement.