U.S. News and World Report has ranked USC’s Master of Public Health (MPH) Program as the nation’s 12th best, tied with the programs from the University of Maryland at College Park and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

The USC program received a 3.5 score out of a possible 5. The highest score received in the rankings of 44 institutions was a 3.8, which went to Tufts University School of Medicine. The ranking was computed in January of the year cited, based on data from a survey sent out in the fall of the previous year.

Tom Valente, director of the MPH program, noted that his program was ranked in the top quartile despite being only five years old, and, at the time of the survey, not yet accredited.

"Clearly we aspire to improve this ranking, but this is a great start," he said. "As our program matures and our alumni get out there and help improve the public’s health, our reputation and achievements will grow. For now, we are grateful that other program directors have recognized the hard work of our students and staff to build this nascent program into something the Trojan Family can be proud of."