U.S. News & World Report published its 2026 best medical schools list April 7 as part of its Best Graduate Schools rankings.
Medical schools were ranked on a four-tier system, with overall scores calculated based on percentile performance compared to all rated schools. U.S. News created two separate lists — best medical schools for research and best medical schools for primary care — both of which evaluate schools on faculty resources and entering students’ academic credentials.
Tier 1 schools have the highest rankings, falling in the 85th to 99th percentile. U.S. News surveyed 203 medical schools, including 102 that qualified for research rankings and 99 for primary care.
The research list included metrics such as research activity and total NIH research grants, while the primary care list included metrics such as medical school graduates practicing in primary care specialties.
Schools that declined to participate or lack sufficient data were labeled unranked. Peer and residency assessment surveys were not used in the medical school rankings. Learn more about the methodology here.
Here are the highest-performing medical schools for 2026, in alphabetical order, per U.S. News:
Tier 1 medical schools for research
- Baylor College of Medicine (Houston)
- Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland)
- Emory University (Atlanta)
- Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine (Rochester, Minn.)
- Ohio State University (Columbus)
- University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
- University of California San Diego
- University of California San Francisco
- University of Colorado School of Medicine (Aurora)
- University of Florida (Gainesville)
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Rochester (N.Y.)
- University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine (Tampa)
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas)
- Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tenn.)
- Yale University (New Haven, Conn.)
Tier 1 medical schools for primary care
- East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine (Greenville, N.C.)
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth (Hanover, N.H.)
- Saint Louis University
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (Little Rock)
- University of California Davis
- University of California San Diego
- University of California San Francisco
- University of Hawaii-Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (Honolulu)
- University of Kansas Medical Center (Kansas City)
- University of Minnesota (Minneapolis)
- University of Nebraska Medical Center (Omaha)
- University of New Mexico (Albuquerque)
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Western University of Health Sciences (Pomona, Calif.)
- William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Hattiesburg, Miss.)
At the Becker's 23rd Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC + The Future of Spine Conference, taking place June 18–20 in Chicago, spine surgeons, orthopedic leaders and ASC executives will come together to explore minimally invasive techniques, ASC growth strategies and innovations shaping the future of outpatient spine care. Apply for complimentary registration now.
