About UCSF > Schools, Medical Center Rankings

The professional schools of the University of California, San Francisco are among the top in the nation, according to current US News and World Report graduate school and other rankings. The schools also rank at or near the top in research funding from the National Institutes of Health. In addition, the UCSF Medical Center in 2006 was ranked by US News and World Report the 9th-best hospital in the nation, making it the highest-ranked medical center in Northern California.

School of Medicine

In 2006, ranked fourth overall among research-based medical schools by US News and World Report. In rankings of medical schools for the quality of their primary care training, UCSF ranked 10th. In addition, the magazine ranked UCSF in the top 10 in seven of the eight medical school specialty programs assessed, including first in AIDS medical care, second in women's health, and second in internal medicine. The UCSF drug and alcohol abuse specialty ranks fifth nationally in this year's survey, while family medicine ranks 10th, pediatrics ninth, and geriatrics ninth. (See US News medical school rankings.)

In 2005, the School of Medicine was the third largest recipient of National Institutes of Health research funds among all US medical schools, receiving 869 awards totaling $398,155,640.

Biological Sciences, PhD Programs

US News and World Report in 2002, the last time it surveyed doctoral programs in the biological sciences, ranked UCSF fifth best overall. In that survey, UCSF ranked first in neurosciences, third in biochemistry and cell biology programs, sixth in molecular biology and ninth in microbiology. (See US News rankings.)

School of Nursing

The UCSF School of Nursing ranked first nationally in total NIH research funds from 2003 through 2006, the last rankings available. The total value of NIH grants awarded in 2006 was $13.5 million. In the 2007 US News and World Report ranking of America's Best Graduate Schools, the UCSF School of nursing was first. (See US News nursing school rankings.)

The School of Nursing in 2005 ranked first nationally in total NIH research funds with $12.5 million and 33 awards.

School of Pharmacy

The UCSF School of Pharmacy ranked as the top in the US, according to a 2002 survey published in The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, which weighed key criteria, including funding for research and the frequency of scientific publications by faculty, that are not considered in other rankings.

In 2005, US News and World Report ranked the UCSF School of Pharmacy number one in its "America's Best Graduate Schools" edition.

In 2005, the School of Pharmacy ranked first in NIH research funding among all US pharmacy schools, receiving 47awards totaling $22.2 million.

School of Dentistry

The School of Dentistry in 2005 ranked first among all dental schools in NIH research funding. It received 37awards totaling $18.8 million from the NIH.

UCSF Medical Center

In 2006, US News and World Report named the UCSF Medical Center the 7th-best hospital in the nation, making it the highest-ranked medical center in Northern California. Among pediatric care centers, UCSF Children's Hospital ranked no. 16.

In the magazine's "America's Best Hospitals" survey, the UCSF Medical Center ranked best in Northern California — as well as among the best in the nation — in the following specialties: endocrinology, neurology/neurosurgery, gynecology, urology, ophthalmology, respiratory disorders, rheumatology, kidney disease, digestive disorders, and geriatrics. For pediatrics, USCF Children's Hospital ranked 2nd-best in California. (See US News and World Report rankings of best hospitals.)

In San Francisco Magazine's 2003 survey of the "Best Doctors" in the Bay Area, 55 percent of those honored were UCSF faculty.