Vanderbilt University School of Medicine is once again named among the nation’s elite Research Schools of Medicine in U.S. News & World Report magazine’s 2014 “Best Graduate Schools” rankings, released this week.
VUSM retained its rank of No. 14 among the nation’s 114 fully accredited medical schools.
Jeff Balser, M.D., Ph.D., vice chancellor for Health Affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, said these latest rankings are a reflection of the strong commitment and dedication to excellence on the part of faculty, students and staff.
“During a period in our nation where there are serious and competing pressures facing medical education, the outstanding commitment demonstrated by our faculty and leadership to train the nation’s next generation of physician-leaders is evident in this year’s ranking,” he said.
U.S. News & World Report uses a methodology for Schools of Medicine-Research that arrives at a weighted average across 8 indicators. The indicators were reviewed in fall 2012 and early 2013.
In addition to empirical data such as average MCAT scores, a school’s percentage for applicant acceptance, NIH grant funding and faculty to student ratio, peer assessment surveys are sent to deans, other administrators and/or faculty at other accredited medical schools, creating reputational scores.
Also included in each year’s U.S. News Best Graduate Schools rankings are programs in the Health Disciplines categories. Programs in these categories, such as Nursing, Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, and Psychology are ranked by a different methodology involving program directors and faculty, and are not re-ranked on an annual basis.
In 2012, Vanderbilt’s Audiology program was ranked No. 1 in the nation while the Speech-Language Pathology program ranked No. 3 and Clinical Psychology ranked No. 14. In 2011, the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing remains ranked No. 15 in the nation for Best Graduate Schools of Nursing.
Several other Vanderbilt programs were ranked in this latest edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools, including:
• Peabody School of Education — 1st;
• Vanderbilt School of Law — 15th;
• Owen Graduate School of Management (Schools of Business) —30th; and
• Vanderbilt School of Engineering — 36th.
This year’s rankings will be in the 2014 edition of U.S. News’ Best Graduate Schools print publication, available in stores April 9.
