A university-record 33 programs placed within the top 100 in their disciplines for the U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Schools 2026 rankings. For the second consecutive year, the William S. Boyd School of Law’s legal writing program held the nation’s top spot, contributing to 15 top-100 rankings for school. Beyond the law school, a number of UNLV programs made notable gains in the rankings this cycle. The School of Nursing’s master’s programs continued their recent ascent, placing 34; the College of Education’s graduate programs continued a record rise in 2025 with another bump, coming in at 64; and the Physical Therapy program again ranked within the nation’s top 50, jumping six places this year to rank 40.  

A long-awaited project near UNLV’s iconic Flashlight sculpture has been completed by UNLV’s Planning and Construction department, marking a significant step forward in making the university more inclusive. There are now steps alongside an ADA-accessible ramp with seating, improved lighting, updated signage, and landscaping designed for function and beauty, just in time to welcome campus back for the remainder of the College of Fine Arts performing season!

UNLV student-athletes continue to shine on and off the field, posting a department-record combined GPA of 3.39 during the Fall 2025 semester and marking the 17th consecutive term with a department GPA of 3.00 or higher. More than 200 student-athletes were named to the UNLV Dean’s Honor List after earning a GPA above 3.50, while over 75% of all student-athletes and Spirit Squad members earned a GPA of 3.00 or better.

The University Libraries, in partnership with the Teaching and Learning Commons and the UNLV Food Pantry, launched the Food for Fines program in December to collect nonperishable items to benefit UNLV students while also eliminating current undergraduate student overdue fines. The two-month program reached its goal of collecting more than 500 items, resulting in all undergraduate student overdue fines being forgiven.

The UNLV School of Music received a gift of more than $6 million from the KJS Family Foundation to support artistic excellence and student success. Finalized last year, the donation funded the purchase of 86 Steinway pianos, significantly expanding access to premier instruments for instruction, practice, and performance. The gift represents the largest donation in the history of the College of Fine Arts and will allow students perform with best-in-class instruments.

The College of Engineering has established the new Department of Applied and Interdisciplinary Engineering to prepare students for engineering careers through hands-on, experiential programs developed in close partnership with industry. The department is home to the B.S. in Entertainment Engineering & Design, the only accredited bachelor's program of its kind in the world, and offers additional degrees spanning construction, information technology, mechatronics, and cybersecurity.

The School of Nursing’s continues to rank among the nation's best according to U.S. News and World Report. The Nursing online master’s degree programs collectively placed 22nd in the latest release and cracked the top ten in a new ranking of online nursing programs for military veterans, placing 9th. UNLV Nursing has earned a spot in the top 30 every year since U.S. News & World Report began rating online nursing degrees in 2012.

The College of Engineering’s online master’s degree climbed more than 40 positions to reach a top-50 ranking — No. 44 — in U.S. News and World Report’s annual rankings of the best online degree programs. One of UNLV’s fastest-growing academic units, the College of Engineering offers a fully online master of science in materials and nuclear engineering and recently launched online and hybrid master’s degrees in cybersecurity in collaboration with the Lee Business School.