The University's School of Medicine is among the top 10 research-oriented medical schools in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report's annual graduate school survey.
"Overall, we're viewed as a very strong research institution," said Dr. Lorris Betz, interim dean of the Medical School.
The Medical School, which receives more than $100 million in research grants each year, ranked ninth in both this and last year's survey and has steadily improved in the rankings in recent years, Betz said.
Medical School fourth-year student Adwowa Afeyni-Annan wasn't surprised by the ranking. She said the University's Medical School graduates are highly regarded by employers.
"I think the quality of education is very high in comparison to other schools," Annan said. "In the past it's been right around there (ninth) so I don't think this is too much of a difference from previous years."
Betz said he is especially pleased by the ranking because the survey was conducted during a transitional period in the Medical School's leadership.
"The study comes at a time of interim leadership, and there was potential for us to have slipped, so I'm reassured that we're ninth in the rankings," Betz said.
While U.S. News and World Report magazine says it uses comprehensive criteria for the survey, some students consider the rankings to be generalizations.
Medical School first-year student Gene Carpenter said the rankings played a small role in his decision to choose the University's Medical School.
"It wasn't the only reason I came, but it played a part," Carpenter said. "It seems to me that they choose the criteria arbitrarily."
Betz acknowledged the potential room for error in the magazine's methods. "The rankings are highly dependent on opinion polls and therefore they need to be looked at with caution and skepticism," he said.
Betz said budget cuts at University Hospitals aren't likely to affect the Medical School's ranking in future surveys.
"It's not going to have a major influence on our ranking," Betz said. "It's important to distinguish between the Medical School and the hospital."
The Medical School receives more than 5,500 applicants each year for 170 places.
Harvard University, the Johns Hopkins University, and Duke University received the top three ratings, respectively.