Baylor again takes top spots in Texas and the nation
Baylor College of Medicine has again taken top spots in national rankings from U.S. News & World Report and the Blue Ridge Institute.
Baylor has been recognized as a top institution for medical research, earning Tier 1 status in the U.S. News & World Report 2025 Best Schools rankings. Baylor is one of only 16 medical schools in the nation to receive this designation, and one of only two in Texas. According to the U.S. News & World Report rankings website, Tier 1 schools are “one step ahead of the pack, propelled by funding, cutting-edge technology and the research done by students and faculty. These schools are prime for those who want to make their mark in the medical field through discovery.” In addition to the School of Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is ranked 25th in the biological sciences. The School of Health Professions has two programs ranked including the Nurse Anesthesia Program at 4th and the Physician Assistant program at 6th in the nation.
Additionally, the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research recently announced its listing of grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In 2024, Baylor College of Medicine faculty successfully competed for more than $319 million in funding from the NIH. Baylor is ranked 20th among the nation’s medical schools in funding from the NIH, and the College is ranked first in Texas dating back to 2001, the first year for Blue Ridge data. Now, with the uncertainty surrounding reductions in NIH funding, philanthropic support is needed more than ever.
Despite the competitive funding climate, seven departments showed not only strong increases in funding but also strong increases in their rankings:
- The Department of Neurosurgery improved to 7 from 9 with increased funding of $1.9 million.
- The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology improved to 14 from 36 following the combination of the departments of Biochemistry and Pharmacology and Chemical Biology.
- The Department of Integrative Physiology improved to 19 from 27 with increased funding of $2 million.
- The Department of Pathology and Immunology improved to 24 from 38 with increased funding of $855,000.
- The Margaret M. and Albert B. Alkek Department of Medicine improved to 26 from 27 with increased funding of $18.3 million.
- The Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology improved to 42 from 50 with increased funding of $1.7 million.
- The Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences improved to 44 from 60 with increased funding of $4.8 million.
In all, 12 Baylor departments ranked within the Top 30:
- No. 1 Department of Molecular and Human Genetics
- No. 4 Department of Pediatrics
- No. 7 Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
- No. 7 Department of Neurosurgery
- No. 8 Department of Neuroscience
- No. 14 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
- No. 18 Department of Ophthalmology
- No. 19 Department of Integrative Physiology
- No. 23 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- No. 24 Department of Pathology and Immunology
- No. 26 Margaret M. and Albert B. Alkek Department of Medicine
- No. 28 Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery
