Pritzker School of Medicine ranked among Top 10 in U.S.

University of Chicago's medical school moves up in 'Best Graduate Schools' survey

March 13, 2012

The University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine has been named one of the Top 10 medical schools in the United States, by U.S. News & World Report's annual "Best Graduate Schools" survey.
                                                                                  
The latest rankings of the nation's graduate programs, available online beginning Tuesday, placed Pritzker at No. 10, up from the 12th spot last year and from 22nd in 2004. Pritzker tied with two other medical schools, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and the University of Washington, for the 10th-place ranking. No other medical school in Illinois made the Top 10 list.

Pritzker ranks second in the country on research funding per faculty member, according to the magazine, with average annual grant support per researcher from the National Institutes of Health of $328,000, behind only Stanford University. Pritzker is also among the leaders in the U.S. in student selectivity. The medical school has dramatically increased its ability to attract the best students, rising from 41st in the United States in 2004 to fourth in the latest survey.

"It is an honor to be considered one of the leading medical education programs in the country," said Kenneth S. Polonsky, MD, dean of the Pritzker School of Medicine and executive vice president for Medical Affairs at the University of Chicago Medicine. "It is gratifying to know that we scored near the top on the research achievements of our faculty as well as on student selectivity."

U.S. News & World Report surveyed all 149 medical schools and ranked them based on two types of data: expert opinions about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research and students. Medical school rankings, for example, are based on a weighted average of research activity, student selectivity, admission statistics (MCAT, grade point average, and acceptance rate) and faculty-to-student ratio.

"The ranking of our school is one measure of the excellence of our students and faculty," said Holly Humphrey, MD'83, dean for medical education at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. "By bringing together bright, motivated students with a talented, world-class faculty, we enjoy an intellectually rich and stimulating environment for learning medicine."