UMD’s Computer Science Graduate Program Climbs in 2026 U.S. News Rankings

The University of Maryland’s computer science graduate program ranks No. 9 among the country’s public institutions in the 2026 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools.” The program ranks 16th overall, climbing a notch from last year.

UMD also ranks high in three computer science specialties:

• Artificial intelligence at No. 12 (No. 8 among publics)
• Programming language at No. 19 (No. 11 among publics)
• Systems at No. 20 (No. 11 among publics)

"We're proud to see the University of Maryland's outstanding graduate programs receive the recognition they deserve across a broad range of disciplines," said UMD President Darryll J. Pines. "Graduate students at UMD join a community of excellence where they develop their skills and knowledge to become the leaders, achievers and discoverers our state and world need."

The Department of Computer Science has over 500 graduate students in its computer science M.S. and Ph.D. programs and nearly 500 graduate students in its data science and applied machine learning M.S. programs run by the college’s Science Academy.

The rankings are based on reputational surveys and widely used by prospective students when considering where to apply.

UMD’s undergraduate computer science program ranks 19th overall by U.S. News & World Report and in the top 20 in three specialties: Artificial intelligence (No. 12), Cybersecurity (No. 13) and Computer systems (No. 18).

—Story by CMNS