U.S. News released its 2021 ranking of Research and Primary Care Medical Schools. The rankings are based on expert opinions about the quality of each program and statistical indicators that calculate the quality of a program’s faculty, research, and students. The reputation surveys were sent to academics and professionals in fall 2019 and early 2020.
U.S. News assessed the data for each quality indicator and then standardized the value of each indicator around its average. Each indicator has a weight assigned to it, which reflects U.S. News’ evaluation of their relative importance, after consulting with experts in the field. These weighted values developed into each school’s rank.
The highest-scoring school was given a score of 100. All other schools’ scores were recalculated as a percentage of the top score. A school’s score of 100 does not necessarily mean that it received the highest score on every measure; it means it had the highest overall score.
Highlights of the 2021 medical school ranking
Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins held onto the #1 and #2 spots for research medical schools. However, a few meaningful changes occurred near the top.
- New York University jumped from a three-way tie at #9 to a two-way tie at #4.
- Stanford University, tied with New York University at #4 dropped a spot from last year, when it was tied at #3.
- There was significant movement in the schools ranked below the Top 10. Rush University Medical College leapt 12 spots from a tie at #70 to a four-way tie at #58 this year.
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill remains in the #1 spot for primary care medical schools.
- University of California, San Francisco rose from #3 to a tie at the #2 spot.
- The University of Washington, tied for second place, held that spot by itself last year.
- The University of Virginia bounded up 20 spots, from a four-way tie at #26 last year to #6 this year.
Top 10 medical schools: Research 2021 ranking
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | Boston, MA |
| 2 | Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD |
| 3 | University of Pennsylvania (Perelman) | Philadelphia, PA |
| 4 | New York University (Grossman) | New York, NY |
| 4 | Stanford University | Stanford, CA |
| 6 | Columbia University | New York, NY |
| 6 | Mayo Clinic School Of Medicine (Alix) | Rochester, MN |
| 6 | University of California, Los Angeles (Geffen) | Los Angeles, CA |
| 6 | University of California, San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| 6 | Washington University in St. Louis | St. Louis, MO |
Top 10 medical schools: Primary care 2021 ranking
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC |
| 2 | University of California, San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| 2 | University of Washington | Seattle, WA |
| 4 | Baylor College of Medicine | Houston, TX |
| 5 | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor, MI |
| 6 | University of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA |
| 7 | Oregon Health & Science University | Portland, OR |
| 7 | University of California, Davis | Sacramento, CA |
| 9 | University of Colorado | Aurora, CO |
| 10 | Harvard University | Boston, MA |
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Related Resources:
- Navigate the Med School Maze: 12 Tips From Start to Acceptance, a free guide
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- How to Use the MSAR to Choose the Best Medical Schools for You
