The University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine has been named to the top tier of research institutions in the country by U.S. News and World Report, according to new rankings released Tuesday.
There are 16 universities named in tier one, and four tiers altogether. This year’s ranking is a boost for the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, which was listed as a tier two institution last year. In 2024, the first year for tier rankings from U.S News, the school was listed in tier one.
“I am proud of the continuous work, productivity, and successes of the CU Anschutz School of Medicine faculty that have contributed to our institution being top tier,” says John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, MBA, dean of the School of Medicine and vice chancellor for health affairs. “This ranking puts us among the best of the best in the country.”
Additionally, in primary care rankings, the CU Anschutz School of Medicine jumped to tier two, up from tier three in 2025. In physical therapy rankings, the school ranked No. 12.
In 2024, U.S. News discontinued its numerical rankings system for medical schools and replaced it with listing schools alphabetically within tiers. The organization also ended ranking medical school specialties, saying it relied on peer assessment surveys it’s no longer conducting. Previously, CU Anschutz School of Medicine programs routinely ranked among the top in the nation.
To evaluate medical schools within the tier system, U.S. News invites medical school leaders to complete a survey that includes data on research funding, student admissions, and the school’s curriculum. Rankings for research and primary care are derived from an overall score that is calculated across several factors.
Further data released this year by U.S. News listed the School of Medicine as No. 68 in most graduates practicing in underserved area and No. 47 in most graduates practicing in rural areas – both rankings put the CU Anschutz School of Medicine in the top half of participating schools. According to data used by U.S. News, 45% of CU Anschutz School of Medicine graduates enter primary care residencies and 22% of graduates practice in a primary care specialty.
In 2025, U.S. News ranked CU Anschutz’s physician assistant program No. 3 in the country.
Last month in annual listings compiled by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, CU Anschutz School of Medicine posted its best rankings in 20 years, moving to No. 8 among public medical schools and to No. 21 among all medical schools, with half of the School of Medicine’s 18 clinical departments landing in the top 15.
Blue Ridge focuses on NIH funding, while the U.S. News rankings consider all research funding.
“Our work in research and in clinical care are instrumental to our goal of providing a top-notch education to the next generation of physicians and health scientists,” Sampson says. “This year’s ranking from U.S. News is another identifier that our institution is moving rapidly toward our goal of top 10 in 10 years.”
