U of M Medical School Rises Three Spots in U.S. News & World Report Research Ranking

The 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Medical Schools: Research Ranking was just released, and the University of Minnesota Medical School has once again risen three spots to #40, up from #43 last year and #46 the year before.

This success is largely connected to the increased National Institutes of Health funding and funding per faculty, which account for 40% of the ranking, and coincides with the Medical School’s improved Blue Ridge Institute rankings (#30 to #27) released in February 2020. 

“These rankings are valuable to show how we compare, to help us reflect and help us tell the story of who we are and who we are striving to become,” said Medical School Dean Jakub Tolar, MD, PhD. “The rankings are not the goal, but they are confirmation that our momentum is growing, and we are making progress to improve patient care and impact the field of medicine.”

The Medical School’s rankings in Primary Care is #15 this year. While this is down from last year, it is important to note that the percentage of students from the Medical School going into primary care has increased to 48.5% (2017-19) from 47.2% (2016-18). These strong results, combined with the percentage of students who are underrepresented in medicine that choose fields in health professional shortage areas, contribute to a strong overall social mission score. 

The Medical School is driven to be both—a national hub for innovative research and a land-grant institution dedicated to providing a highly qualified workforce for Minnesota in primary and specialty care.