U of A College of Medicine – Tucson advances in US News Best Medical Schools rankings

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson has once again been recognized as one of the best medical schools in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools for Medicine rankings.

For the first time, U.S. News & World Report is presenting its Best Medical Schools: Research and Best Medical Schools: Primary Care lists in evaluative tiers in lieu of ordinal rankings. The U of A College of Medicine – Tucson is rated in tier 2 for both research and primary care. This means the college placed between the top 50th and 84th percentiles of all eligible medical schools in research and primary care.

According to U.S. News & World Report, tier 1 medical schools are the highest performing and tier 4 the lowest performing. Within each tier, schools are sorted alphabetically on usnews.com.

The research and primary care ratings evaluated schools on faculty resources and the academic achievement of incoming students. The research-focused evaluation factored in medical research grants, while primary care factored in graduate placement and practice in the primary care fields.

 “The College of Medicine – Tucson’s tier 2 ratings for both research and primary care, and its designation as one of the best graduate schools for medicine are a testament to our ongoing and continued efforts to pursue excellence across in our tripartite mission – education, research, and patient care,” said Michael M.I. Abecassis, MD, MBA, the inaugural Humberto and Czarina Endowed Dean of the College of Medicine – Tucson. “We are committed to translating transformative innovation into clinical destination programs of excellence across the health care spectrum for our community and beyond.”

Numerical rankings are still in place for four specialty categories – Most Graduates in Primary Care, Most Graduates Practicing in Health Professional Shortage Areas, Most Graduates Serving Rural Areas and Most Diverse Medical Schools.

The College of Medicine – Tucson earned its best ranking on the Most Diverse Medical School list, advancing one spot to tie at No. 15.

The college also significantly improved its placement in two rankings that are determined by the percentage of graduates practicing in specific regions.

On the Most Graduates Practicing in Health Professional Shortage Areas list, the college to tie at No. 31, up from No. 69 last year. On the Most Graduates Practicing in Rural Areas list, the College of Medicine – Tucson jumped 30 spots in the rankings to finish at No. 42, up from No. 72 in 2023.

“Under Dean Abecassis’ leadership, the College of Medicine – Tucson has excelled in its mission to educate future physicians with the knowledge and skills to operate in a rapidly evolving and increasing complex health care landscape,” said Michael D. Dake, MD, senior vice president for the U of A Health Sciences. “I am pleased to see so many of our graduates choosing to practice in rural and underserved communities, where they are building healthier communities by providing compassionate and culturally sensitive care for all.”

The U.S. News & World Report annual ranking of Best Graduate Schools for Medicine was released July 23, following the April 9 release of the Best Graduate Schools rankings for 16 other academic disciplines.

For a full list of medical school rankings, visit usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools.