CSU’s Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs’ Master of Public Administration program is once again ranked second in the nation in the area of city management and urban policy according to U.S. News and World Report. The rankings are part of the publication’s 2008 edition of “America’s Best Graduate Schools.” The Levin College has attained this prestigious ranking for the past ten years. Overall, the College is ranked 45th among the nation’s 269 public affairs schools.

“The U.S. News and World Report ranking, based on a survey of more than 500 deans, department chairs, and program directors of the 269 public policy schools in America, clearly establishes the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs as a critical resource for Cleveland and urban America,” said Interim Dean Edward (Ned) Hill, Ph.D. “We are committed to being nationally recognized for academic excellence, to developing leadership in search for solutions to urban problems, and to enhancing the understanding of urban policy and public affairs in a global society. The ranking is also a reflection of the investment that the state of Ohio makes in the Levin College through its Urban University Program, which allows the College to work with the state on finding solutions to critical policy and city management challenges.”

Five major fields of study are examined and ranked annually by U.S. News and World Report: business, law, medicine, education, and engineering. The field of public administration and 27 additional fields are evaluated every three years and are in this year’s complete guide.

Rankings are based on objective measures such as test scores and faculty resources, and on the national reputations established through research and public services. Deans and faculty members are asked to rate each school with which they are familiar on a scale of one (“marginal”) to five (“distinguished”). The statistical measures that account for the bulk of a school’s ranking are collected, with rare exception, from each school’s peers.

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Cleveland State’s Levin College is nationally recognized for its Master of Public Administration program. The principal objective of the program is to prepare both in-service professionals and college graduates for management careers in government, nonprofit, health care and public service organizations. The College provides placement assistance for students seeking internships and for graduates seeking professional employment. Students are placed throughout the Greater Cleveland area, Ohio, and the nation.

The College serves as a nationally-ranked model for linking the resources of a metropolitan university to the problems and opportunities confronting major urban centers. The Levin College is committed to nationally recognized excellence in the enhanced understanding of urban problems and the development of urban leaders. Investigating issues and challenges facing urban communities, the Levin College’s twelve research programs provide applied research, technical assistance, and training to public officials, community leaders, and the private sector with the objective of enhancing the quality of life in urban communities. The Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs is a focal point of research and public service in the Ohio Urban University Program (UUP), a unique network linking the resources of Ohio’s eight urban universities with the communities and students they serve in cooperative efforts to improve Ohio’s urban regions. In addition, the College’s faculty and staff continue to publish articles in the nation’s most prestigious journals.

The College’s Urban Center provides expert assistance in economic development, nonprofit and city management, land use planning, and housing policy. The College has operated a central computing facility since 1985 that includes state-of-the-art geographic information system (GIS) mapping software. GIS technology assists in state and local economic development efforts to build and maintain public infrastructure and address environmental issues.

The Master of Public Administration Program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA).

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