Schools rank among the nation’s best
The UC Davis School of Medicine is among the top in the nation for educating primary care physicians and remains a high performer in research funding, according to data released by U.S. News & World Report.
In the publication’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools issue, in the medical school category, UC Davis ranks in the top tier nationwide for primary care medical education and in the second tier for research.
“This year’s rankings underscore our school’s longstanding leadership in training physicians committed to serving all of California’s communities, while also advancing groundbreaking research that is transforming the lives of patients worldwide,” said Susan Murin, M.D., M.Sc., M.B.A., dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine.
In addition to the tiered rankings, the school was listed as No. 16 in the category of most graduates practicing in primary care (up from No. 17 the year before).
The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis continues to be among the best in the nation in its nursing and advanced practice programs. This year, the Master’s Entry Program in Nursing was ranked 24 among public universities. The new Doctor of Nursing Practice — Nurse Anesthesia program — the only one in the UC system — ranked in the top 50 programs nationwide.
Physician assistant (PA) programs are ranked every two years. Last year, the School of Nursing’s PA program landed at No. 40 and remains at that spot this year.
Among nation’s best in NIH funding
The UC Davis School of Medicine is among the nation’s leading medical schools in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding. In the latest ranking by Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, the medical school placed 31st nationally, two spots higher than last year, and with a record total of $233 million in NIH grants.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our outstanding faculty researchers who, in a challenging funding environment, have gone above and beyond in submitting a record number of successful grant proposals,” said School of Medicine Dean Susan Murin, M.D., M.Sc., M.B.A. “It is a testament to their commitment to science, to UC Davis and to our patients.”
This year, 12 School of Medicine departments ranked in the top 20 nationally in their respective fields, two of which are in the top 10. All UC Davis basic science departments ranked in the top 20 nationally. This fiscal year, 262 principal investigators (PIs) were awarded 383 NIH grants.
This year also includes funding for a record number (32) of NIH K awards made to early career researchers. “This validates our investments in programs designed to grow new PI’s from within our own ranks and helps to secure our future success,” said Kim E. Barrett, Ph.D., vice dean for research.
In May 2025, Aggie Square opened as a first-of-its-kind innovation district on the UC Davis Sacramento campus, bringing together UC Davis researchers and students, industry partners, entrepreneurs and the community to accelerate and implement ideas. The district is home to many School of Medicine research labs.
