In its “Best Health Schools” and “Best Medical Schools” rankings, U.S. News lists the Carver College of Medicine in an additional five categories:
- Research: Tier 2
- Primary Care: Tier 3
- Most Graduates Practicing in Rural Areas: No. 28
- Most Graduates Practicing in Health Professional Shortage Areas: No. 46
- Most Graduates Practicing in Primary Care: No. 124
U.S. News placed medical schools in one of four tiers for the Primary Care and Research categories. Each school’s tier was derived from an overall score, calculated across several factors. The first two tiers compriseapproximately 50 medical schools, according to U.S. News.
The Carver College of Medicine continues to rank among the nation’s leading academic medical centers for research, supported by more than 80 core research facilities, institutes, and centers, and more than 280 research laboratories. In the past year, research teams across UI Health Care secured more than $250 million in external funding.
Denise Jamieson, MD, MPH, UI vice president for medical affairs and the Tyrone D. Artz Dean of the Carver College of Medicine, notes that UI Health Care has also seen a positive trend over the last few years when it comes to rankings around graduates practicing medicine in rural settings.
“The U.S. News rankings represent our commitment to the overall health of Iowans and to our students who find great value in serving in high-need areas. We continue to look for opportunities to strengthen our rural health curriculum to prepare our students and trainees to practice in rural communities,” Jamieson says. “Our programs help Iowans see the value of practicing medicine here in the state, and these rankings indicate that the Carver College of Medicine is among the top schools in the country. We can feel a sense of pride in the high quality of our programs, resources, and people.”
U.S. News rankings continue to inform prospective students, faculty, and staff of the quality work within the UI medical school and the broader UI Health Care system.
Rankings with an asterisk (*) were not evaluated this year but represent the college or program’s most recent ranking.
Methodology
During fall 2025 and early 2026, U.S. News surveyed 203 medical and osteopathic schools fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association as of early 2026. Data from these medical schools, along with some third-party statistics, was used to calculate the tiers and primary care practice rankings.
Schools that did not submit a medical school statistical survey in fall 2025 or early 2026, or submitted a survey that was lacking key data, are displayed as unranked on the U.S. News website.