Each year, U.S. News and World Report releases new rankings for graduate schools across the country. ASU's School of Public Affairs was ranked #9 in the rankings released in April 2026.

In addition to the school's overall rankings, the School of Public Affairs is ranked in 10 additional categories.

#1 local government management

The Center for Local Government Education and Innovation prepares future leaders and advances data-driven local government excellence through the Marvin Andrews and Jane Morris Fellowship, Bob Ramsey Executive Education and Valley Benchmark Communities.

#2 homeland/national security and emergency management

The Center for Emergency Management and Homeland Security's work addresses ongoing risk reduction challenges characterized by complex social, economic environmental, cultural and technological interdependencies and conflicting objectives. Efforts such as professional development workshops for science scholars and professionals from marginalized communities support the center's goal to improve emergency response and resilience for all. 

#2 information and technology management

The Mechanics of Democracy Lab regularly convenes experts to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming elections, emphasizing the need for robust regulations, transparency and multidisciplinary collaboration to address challenges such as misinformation, data security and the ethical use of AI in the democratic process.

#3 nonprofit management 

The Next Generation Service Corps, an undergraduate leadership development program, prepares students from all majors to drive positive impact in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. All students complete a nonprofit internship on their way to earning a cross-sector leadership certificate rooted in public affairs-centric curriculum.

#5 public management and leadership

Researchers in the Center for Organization Research and Design examine how organizations create new solutions to complex challenges by blending new technologies, scientific discovery and human capital. Their projects range from helping government agencies improve their recruitment, communication and engagement practices to investigating instances of institutional racism ‒ and beyond.

#6 environmental policy

The Center for Science, Technology and Environmental Policy Studies conducts research, evaluates policy and develops solutions at the intersection of scientific, societal, technological and environmental change. In one example, the center contributed governance expertise to ECOFFEE, a multi-country initiative evaluating pathways to reduce synthetic pesticide use in coffee production across Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua and Vietnam.

#6 urban policy

The Center on Technology, Data and Society examines how technology and data reshape economies, communities and governance. Drawing on deep expertise in urban policy, program evaluation, public administration and nonprofit management, its faculty produce rigorous, policy-relevant research. Additionally, the center's Digital Inclusion Leadership Certificate program has trained more than 100 public service professionals to lead digital inclusion initiatives, evaluate broadband programs and design equitable technology access strategies for their communities.

#9 public finance and budgeting

Research from two ASU faculty members demonstrates how mythology is central to many Americans' beliefs about how the nation's economy works, even to the point of motivating economic behaviors and political decisions.

#13 public policy analysis

ASU's Morrison Institute for Public Policy is a non-partisan resource for relevant research and informed policy choices of public value, with rigorous adherence to facts and data. The institute houses the Arizona Research Center for Housing and Economic Solutions (ARCHES) and the Kyl Center for Water Policy, two leading authorities on pressing issues affecting Arizona and the Southwest.

#15 social policy

The Participatory Governance Initiative at ASU promotes excellence, collaboration and innovation in participatory governance research and practice, particularly in educational institutions. The program celebrated its 10th anniversary in the United States in 2023, as a "tool that simultaneously promotes citizenship education, civic engagement and school democracy."