Could anyone give me any leads on the best photography departments in the USA? Are they ranked anywhere?

-If she wants an applied/commercial program, then technical places like RIT or Brooks Institute are probably good choices. If she is interested in photojournalism, then journalism schools like Columbia University or Univ of Missouri are probably good choices. If she is interested in art (using photo as a medium), then theoretical/art places like the School of the Art Institute of Chicago or the California Institute of the Arts are probably good choices. I don't think Brooks is NASAD accredited, however (but perhaps RIT is). US News and World Report publishes university and art school rankings annually. But their methods are not error-free and are currently under criticism. Anyway, rankings are only part of the whole package when choosing schools. The "best" school may, in fact, not be the best place for her.

-Art Center Pasadena is considered by most to be the finest photography school in America. Brooks Institute and RIT are well thought of as are NYU and The New School.