The University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine has improved its position in the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research (BRIMR) rankings, now standing at No. 8 among public medical schools nationwide and No. 21 among all U.S. medical schools. The BRIMR rankings are based on the total funding awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to researchers at American medical schools and their departments.
Half of the school’s 18 clinical departments placed within the top 15 in their respective fields. Notably, the Department of Pediatrics was ranked first with more than $63 million in NIH funding. Other high-performing departments include Pharmacology at fourth place with over $22.5 million, Orthopedics at fifth with $6.7 million, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at sixth with more than $3.5 million.
Departments such as Otolaryngology, Emergency Medicine, and Anesthesiology were each ranked eleventh, while Family Medicine and Dermatology both secured twelfth place positions. Internal Medicine achieved a fourteenth-place ranking.
"This is a great honor for the School of Medicine, and shows our faculty's dedication to innovative research, clinical care, and world class education," said John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, MBA, CU Anschutz Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine. "We are extremely proud of these rankings and the momentum we have for the future. We are on the road to becoming a top 10 medical school in 10 years. In fact, I'm confident that we can get there even sooner as many of our departments are just one major grant away from being in the top 10."
In total, nine clinical departments were ranked within the top 15 this year—an increase from six departments in 2024—and overall NIH funding rose by $9.7 million to nearly $314 million compared to last year’s figures.
This marks the highest ranking for CU Anschutz School of Medicine since it placed twentieth two decades ago.
"This is a historical achievement for our departments and school," Sampson added. "Our school's NIH funding growth provides a solid foundation so that we can continue meaningful research and enhance the opportunities that ultimately make a difference in the lives of the patients we treat."
