N.C. A&T Degrees Earn High Marks in U.S. News Best Graduate Program Rankings 2026

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (April 7, 2026) - Multiple degree programs at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, from rehabilitation counseling to the MBA, enjoyed strong upward movement in U.S. News & World Report's Best Graduate Schools 2026 rankings released today.

"It is gratifying to see our graduate degree programs not only expanding in enrollment, but moving upward nationally in systems that rank such programs," said Clay Gloster '85, '88, Ph.D., dean of The Graduate College at N.C. A&T. "With new doctoral programs in criminal justice, agricultural and environmental systems, and nursing practice having come online over the past few years, along with numerous new master's programs, we are building for a strong future in graduate education."

A&T offers 35 master's programs, 14 doctoral degree programs and 46 graduate certificate programs.

Graduate counseling programs charted the strongest performance, moving up 31 places to a tie for No. 18 nationally in Best Rehabilitation Counseling Programs. A&T's upward momentum was the strongest of any university nationally.

Students may complete master's and doctoral degrees in any of three counseling disciplines in the College of Education and earn add-on certification in rehabilitation counseling and behavioral addictions to specialize in that area.

The MBA program at the Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics also charted strong upward movement while ranking among America's top 100 such degree programs for the sixth consecutive year.

The Deese MBA moved up five places to a tie for No. 72 and retained its position as the No. 1 historically Black college or university (HBCU) MBA in America, while its MBA in supply chain/logistics tied at No.

These are the latest of many notable rankings for the Deese MBA: In January, its online MBA program was ranked in a tie at No. 50 and its online MBA programs for veterans at a tie for No. 30 in the U.S. News Best Online Programs 2026 national rankings.

Last December, the influential Poets&Quants Top 100 U.S. MBA Programs rankings placed the Deese MBA at No. 84 nationally.

A&T scored well in other graduate programs in the new U.S. News rankings, as well. In the College of Engineering, industrial/mechanical/systems engineering graduate programs tied at No. 65 nationally. The college itself, which produces more Black engineers than any campus in America, ranked No. 153 overall for all of its graduate programs.

Doctoral program growth is a point of strategic focus for the university as it pursues a new designation in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The top classification for doctoral research universities - Research 1 - is based in part on the number of doctoral degrees a university awards each year. A&T now exceeds criteria for the R1 designation and expects to become the first public HBCU to become classified R1 when new classifications are announced in 2028.

About North Carolina A&T State University: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is the nation's largest historically Black university, as well one of the top 25 "Most Innovative" universities in America (U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2024). North Carolina A&T is a land-grant, doctoral research university and a constituent member of the University of North Carolina System. An exponential university, A&T is recognized widely for its national leadership in graduating African American students in engineering, agriculture and other STEM fields. The university was established in 1891 as only the second land-grant college created under the second Morrill Act and is located in Greensboro, North Carolina.