Dell Med’s newest “Blue Ridge” rank, up 53 spots from 2023, follows the announcement of The University of Texas Medical Center.
In a leap of more than 50 places from 2023’s rank of 107, Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin has risen to No. 54 among 148 U.S. medical schools in the latest Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research rankings — underscoring the potential of The University of Texas Medical Center to become a premier hub for biomedical research.
In 2024, the National Institutes of Health awarded the University more than $113.3 million to support biomedical research. Blue Ridge rankings, based on total NIH awards, are widely recognized as a key indicator of scientific excellence and vitality.
The Medical Center Difference
The remarkable increase in rank follows the University of Texas System’s strategic initiative to establish a world-class, integrated academic medical center at UT Austin. UT Medical Center, anchored by Dell Med, builds on a decade of the medical school’s progress in fostering a unified, transdisciplinary approach to advancing preventive care, diagnostics, treatments, and cures. This approach leverages the University’s extensive expertise and collaboration across basic and applied sciences.
“Our growth in life science research funding is a testament to the immense talent and drive of our entire research community — and an example of the transformative potential of UT Medical Center,” said Claudia F. Lucchinetti, M.D., dean of the medical school and the University’s senior vice president for medical affairs. “Working together, we will drive discovery that improves health and saves lives.”
Life Sciences Expenditures Doubled
Since the establishment of Dell Med in 2014, UT Austin’s life sciences research expenditures, including NIH funding, have more than doubled. They totaled $188.3 million in 2023, up from $73.4 million in 2014.
Annual research expenditures across the University exceeded $1 billion in 2024.
In NIH funding, the focus of the Blue Ridge rankings, Dell Med and the emerging UT Medical Center are now aligned with other prestigious university medical centers within the UT System.
UT System 2024 Blue Ridge Rankings — Schools of Medicine:
- No. 24: The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
- No. 49: The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- No. 51: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
- No. 52: The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
- No. 54: The University of Texas at Austin (Dell Medical School/UT Medical Center)
“This is only the beginning of our work to accelerate life sciences research at UT as we continue to focus on developing cross-campus collaborations that make the most of our colleagues’ incredible depth of expertise,” said William Matsui, M.D., Dell Med’s vice dean of research. “That depth extends across not only UT Austin, but the entire UT System, and we look forward to building on a long tradition of collaborative research to benefit patients and families in Texas, across the country and around the world.”
Dell Med 2024 Blue Ridge Rankings — Clinical Science Departments:
- Internal Medicine: No. 109 → No. 39
- Neurology: No. 55 → No. 5
- Pediatrics: No. 79 → No. 34
- Psychiatry: No. 51 → No. 36
- Public Health and Preventive Medicine: No. 36 → No. 27
- Neurosurgery: No. 54
- Obstetrics and Gynecology: No. 41
- Radiation Diagnostics and Oncology: No. 43
- Surgery: No. 59