In the new rankings of English graduate programs by U.S. News and World Report, released earlier this month, the Department of English graduate program has moved up to #26. This is a rise from the department’s previous rank of 30, already among the top 20% of programs.  

Department Chair Elizabeth Hewitt celebrates this new ranking, noting that while our work in the department is “motivated by commitments to teaching and research and not by official ranking systems, this is nonetheless splendid news. Our colleagues at other institutions are noticing our hard work.”  

Thinking on her tenure as chair (2021-2024), Susan Williams concurs, and expresses her pride in the continued dedication of all English department staff, faculty, and students, often through difficult circumstances: “Everyone worked very hard throughout the pandemic and beyond, and we are still all working incredibly hard.” This rise in the rankings, she says, reflects the department’s strong reputation: “it means, among other things, that our external peers think highly of the department.” 

English’s graduate program is one of numerous programs in the College of Arts and Sciences recognized in the USNWR rankings; read more in Arts and Sciences’ press release.