WWU graduate program in Rehabilitation Counseling ranked in the top 20 nationally by US News 

Western Washington University’s graduate program in Rehabilitation Counseling was recently ranked 19th in the country in the most recent graduate school rankings by the U.S. News & World Report. 

The #19 ranking puts Western tied with Portland State University, with the two institutions hosting the most highly ranked programs in the entire Pacific Northwest. 

“This ranking is further proof of the excellence of Western’s students and faculty in general, and of course is tribute to the amazing work being done in our Rehabilitation Counseling program more specifically. We couldn’t be more proud of them  and how they are serving a field that has never been more in demand in Washington state and the region,” said David Patrick, dean of WWU’s Graduate School. 

Western’s Rehabilitation Counseling program trains students to prepare for a career working with individuals with disabilities. Rehabilitation counselors understand that the medical and psychosocial elements of disabilities are informed by cultural contexts, and the resulting counseling process is built around co-collaboration between each individual and their counselor. 

This form of counseling is goal-oriented: Western’s students develop the skills to help people with physical, mental, developmental, cognitive and emotional disabilities to achieve self-determination, independence, meaningful employment, and full community participation. The program’s students train in case management, accessing assistive technology, facilitating self-advocacy, and psychological, vocational, social, and behavioral interventions. 

See Western’s ranking in Rehabilitation Counseling at the U.S. News & World Report grad school rankings website here; find out more about Western’s program in Rehabilitation Counseling here.