Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, Ann Arbor

The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, often referred to as the Ford School, is a leading public policy school at the University of Michigan. Founded in 1914 to offer training in municipal administration, in 1999 the school was named after former President Gerald Ford, who graduated from the University of Michigan in 1935. In the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, the Ford School was ranked #1 in social policy, #3 in health policy and management, #5 in public policy analysis, #7 in environmental policy and management, and #7 in public affairs overall.

The Ford School offers wide-ranged research in public policy and is known for its strong quantitative orientation. The school runs dual degree programs with the University of Michigan Law School, Ross School of Business, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, School of Information, School of Social Work, School of Environment and Sustainability, and University of Michigan School of Public Health, as well as the Departments of Economics, Sociology, and Political Science.

In 1936, the program became the Institute of Public and Social Administration. In 1946, it became the Institute of Public Administration.

The University of Michigan established the institute as the School of Public Policy in 1995, with Lorch Hall as the host building. In 1999, the school was named in honor of Gerald R. Ford, the 38th President of the United States and a 1935 graduate of the University of Michigan.