Survey Ranks School of Pharmacy #1
The UCSF School of Pharmacy is ranked as the top in the US, according to a survey that weighed key criteria, including funding for research and the frequency of scientific publications by faculty, that are not considered in other rankings.
The survey, published recently in The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, sought to expand on the widely promoted US News and World Report rankings, which are subjective ratings based on perception. The new survey combined perception rankings with quantitative rankings based on National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and the number of publications generated.
The UCSF School of Pharmacy, which was rated number one the last time (1996) US News and World Report analyzed pharmacy schools, had the top overall ranking in the new survey. It ranked as the best in all three survey categories -- perception, funding and publications.
The top five ranked pharmacy schools were UCSF, Purdue University, University of Texas, Ohio State University and University of Michigan. (See survey in The Annals of Pharmacotherapy.)
"The most publicized national measures of success in higher education have often been tied to perception alone," said Mary Anne Koda-Kimble, PharmD, dean of the School of Pharmacy. "Without a doubt, what others 'think' about a school such as ours is important. But exceptional reputations can't be sustained without substance. That's why I'm so pleased with this latest ranking survey.
"It looks not just at perception, but at quantitative measures such as extramural research funding and research citations," she said. "The survey is not perfect, but it's a good start in the right direction."
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