2026 Subject Ranking

Best Medical Schools

The Medicine ranking compares universities for graduate study using subject strength and applicant demand. This page shows positions 1–30 from the full ranking. Each position belongs to a university, not an individual degree program. Open a university's program count to see and compare its matching graduate programs. It evaluates medical degree programs through clinical training quality, institutional strength and career outcomes.

University homepage. For program-level links, use GSN Explorer.
RankUniversityCountry
1Harvard UniversityUnited States
2Johns Hopkins UniversityUnited States
3Stanford UniversityUnited States
4University of California--San FranciscoUnited States
5University of PennsylvaniaUnited States
6Yale UniversityUnited States
7Columbia UniversityUnited States
8Duke UniversityUnited States
9University of WashingtonUnited States
10University of Michigan--Ann ArborUnited States
11Washington University in St. LouisUnited States
12University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
13Mayo ClinicUnited States
14New York UniversityUnited States
15Vanderbilt UniversityUnited States
16Northwestern UniversityUnited States
17Weill Cornell MedicineUnited States
18University of TorontoCanada
19University of OxfordUnited Kingdom
20University of ChicagoUnited States
21University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom
22University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center--DallasUnited States
23Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiUnited States
24University College LondonUnited Kingdom
25University of PittsburghUnited States
26University of North Carolina--Chapel HillUnited States
27Emory UniversityUnited States
28University of California San DiegoUnited States
29Imperial College LondonUnited Kingdom
30Karolinska InstituteSweden

How this ranking is built

Graduate study is a career decision. These subject rankings help applicants compare where a degree may create the strongest long-term value, using evidence that reflects how graduate students actually choose and what they gain from their degrees.

We build subject rankings across 37 disciplines and publish the top 30 universities in each. Each university receives one position in the published table for that subject. That position reflects how the university performs across key ranking components, combined consistently for every institution in scope.

Key ranking components

  1. Research strengthDepth, quality, and influence of scholarship and faculty in the university or field.
  2. Employability and career outcomesGraduate placement, employer access, professional standing, alumni networks, and long-term options created by the degree.
  3. Global engagementInternational reach, cross-border relevance, and breadth of academic and professional networks.
  4. Learning experienceQuality and breadth of graduate study and the environment in which students learn, collaborate, and develop.
  5. Applicant demand and revealed preferenceApplication demand and choices admitted applicants make when they hold more than one offer.

Independent expert judgment calibrates the weight given to each component and checks that the resulting order makes sense. There is no one-size-fits-all balance across subjects: research-led fields place more emphasis on academic depth, while professional fields place more emphasis on career outcomes and professional training.

Questions About the Medicine Ranking

What does the Medicine ranking measure?
It compares the strength of graduate study in Medicine across universities using key ranking components: research strength; employability and career outcomes; global engagement; learning experience; and applicant demand and revealed preference. Independent expert judgment calibrates the weight given to each component for the field and checks that the resulting order makes sense.
Does the Medicine ranking compare universities or individual programs?
The ranking compares universities, not individual programs. Each university receives one position based on how its graduate offering in Medicine performs across the key ranking components. Individual programs do not receive separate ranks.
How should I use the Medicine ranking to build my shortlist?
Use it to identify universities worth investigating, then compare their programs for academic fit, admissions requirements, deadlines and costs. A higher position should inform your shortlist, not decide it for you.
Which countries are represented in the Medicine ranking?
United States (24), United Kingdom (4), Canada (1), and Sweden (1). The ranking is global and does not use a country quota.
Are higher-ranked universities usually harder to get into?
Often, but not always. Applicant demand and revealed preference are only part of the ranking. Research strength, career outcomes, global engagement, learning experience and field-specific calibration also shape the order. Admission standards still vary by degree level, specialization and individual program, even within the same university.

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