The University of Toledo College of Law improved its national ranking by 12 spots in one year.

U.S. News & World Report ranked UT’s law school No. 132 out of 196 schools as part of its 2018 Best Graduate Schools edition. That is up from No. 144 last year.

Indicators that helped this increase include higher selectivity of incoming students, higher employment rate at graduation and higher employment rate 10 months after graduation.

“I am glad to see the rankings reflect some of the fundamental improvements we have made,” said D. Benjamin Barros, dean of the College of Law. “We significantly increased the entering credentials of our first-year class, and our job placement numbers also moved up.  We will continue to work on improving our fundamentals, especially in areas of crucial student outcomes like job placement.”

The UT Judith Herb College of Education also ranked No. 172 out of 256. That is up 18 spots compared to last year’s ranking of No. 190. Contributing factors are higher research expenditure and higher selectivity.

“The Judith Herb College of Education continues to strive to improve the quality of all of our programs,” said Dr. Virginia Keil, interim dean of the college. “This recognition validates the quality of our faculty and the excellence of our students. Our increase in rank mirrors our upturn in graduate-level enrollment, both of which reflects the college’s rising reputation.”

The rankings are based on fall 2016 data.

Since her arrival in July of 2015, UT President Sharon L. Gaber has made boosting the University’s national reputation one of her goals.

“I am proud that the U.S. News rankings reflect the progress being made in the Colleges of Law and Education,” Gaber said. “These are important measures that contribute to student success, and a double-digit climb in one year is a significant accomplishment.”