The DO schools on U.S. News’ best medical schools list for 2023-2024

U.S. News and World Report recently released its 2023-24 lists of the best medical schools in the U.S. The lists of the best medical schools for research and primary care included 16 and 15 DO schools, respectively. Also, the lists of the medical schools producing the most graduates practicing in primary care, rural areas and underserved areas included many osteopathic medical schools.

Of note, 13 medical schools have opted against giving their data to the U.S. News and World Report editors for their annual medical school rankings in 2023. The exodus of these schools was prompted by their concerns that there is too much reliance on peer and faculty opinions, which in turn can lead to an elitist “legacy” mentality. Likewise, there is a strong focus on test scores and GPAs that can result in students being well-resourced but not well-equipped for the medical profession, some schools noted.

It is advisable to turn to the medical schools’ websites and other resources to determine what would be a good fit for you.

You can navigate to the full lists here.

Top medical schools for primary care

The rankings for these medical schools were based on peer assessment scores, residency director assessment scores and student selectivity scores, which include MCAT scores, GPA, acceptance rates, faculty resources and primary care production. The following osteopathic medical schools were listed as notable institutions for training in primary care.

#11 University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine

#40 University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine

#49 Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

#50 Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific

#58 William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#71 Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#80 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

#84 Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

#92 Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine — CA

#103 Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine

#103 West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

#108 Rowan University Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine

#112-123 Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

#112-123 Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

Top medical schools for research  

The following osteopathic medical schools were listed as notable research institutions. The metrics used to determine the rankings included two measures of research productivity such as total federal research activity (funding and grants from the U.S. government) and average federal research activity per faculty member.

#111 Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#113 Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

#114 Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

#115 Rowan University Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine

#116 University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine

#117 Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific

# 118-130 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

#118-130 Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

#118-130 Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine

#118-130 Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#118-130 Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

#118-130 Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine – CA

#118-130 University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine

#118-130 University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine

#118-130 West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

#118-130 William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine 

Medical schools with the most graduates in primary care

These rankings were compiled by measuring the proportion of a medical school’s 2013-2015 graduates who are practicing in a primary care specialty as of 2021. It’s a fuller measure of a school’s imprint in primary care than exclusively assessing the proportion of graduates in primary care residencies. Notably, seven of the top 10 schools on the list are DO schools, which shows that the osteopathic profession is a significant contributor to the primary care workforce in the U.S.

#1 Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#2 Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

#3 University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine

#5 Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific

#7 A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine

#8 William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine  

#10 University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine

#11 A.T. Still University, School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona

#12 Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine – CA

#13 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

#15 Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#21 Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

#22 Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine

#26 Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine

#29 University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine

#30 Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#32 Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

#33 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

#33 West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

#37 Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#48 Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine

#49 New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine

#56 Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

#57 Rowan University Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine

#90 Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

Medical schools with the most graduates practicing in underserved areas

U.S. News ranked medical schools by the percentage of each school’s 2013-2015 medical and osteopathic graduates practicing direct patient care in medically underserved areas, also known as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). The graduates are six to eight years established in their location and specialty. The HPSAs, also known as medical deserts, are determined to contain a shortage of medical professionals calculated by the physician to population ratio. Below are the DO schools that made this list.

#1 Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

#3 Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

#6 William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#12 Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine

#13 Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#24 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

#25 Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

#26 West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

#39 University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine

#43 Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

#55 Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine

#58 Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#62 Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#74 A.T. Still University, School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona

#76 Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine – CA

#78 New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine

#84 University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine

#87 Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific

#99 Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

#106 Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine

#124 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

#133 Rowan University Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine

#146 University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine

Medical schools with the most graduates practicing in rural areas

These rankings were derived by taking the medical school’s percentage of each school’s 2013-2015 graduates practicing direct patient care in rural areas of the U.S. These areas are defined via the USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Classification. Below are the osteopathic medical schools on this list.

#1 William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#3 University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine

#4 A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine

#6 Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

#9 Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#10 Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

#12 Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine

#17 Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine

#19 West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

#24 Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#26 Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

#27 Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#30 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

#31 A.T. Still University, School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona

#47 University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine

#53 Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

#56 (tie) Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

#56 (tie) Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine

#63 Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific

#82 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

#84 Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine – CA

#95 New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine

#107 Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine

#136 Rowan University Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine

#155 University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine

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