According to the U.S. News & World Report rankings on the best medical schools in the nation, California has several candidates near the top of the list with Stanford University and the University of California at San Francisco making the top 5 schools in the nation and the University of California at Los Angeles coming in within the top 20 medical schools in the entire nation.
Rankings were determined by using a variety of factors including the school acceptance rate, faculty-to-student ratios, and peer assessment. The assessment scores involved considerations of the program's overall quality for primary care programs and research programs.
Medical education opportunities in the state of California consist of three types of degree programs including online education, traditional classroom education, and hybrid programs that provide a combination of online learning and classroom experiences.
1. Stanford University School of Medicine
In 1858, the medical school that would eventually become part of Stanford University was started as a part of the University of the Pacific. Within 30 years, the medical school became part of Stanford University, and the facility started cultivating a medical program that would find itself second only to Harvard University's medical program.
Located in picturesque San Francisco, California, the School of Medicine at this branch of the University of California costs in-state students $31,134 each year and charges out-of-state students $43,379 in tuition each year. There are almost 650 students enrolled at this university, and the school offers valuable dual degree programs.
2. University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine
The medical school at the San Francisco branch of the University of California was founded in 1864 as Toland Medical College. Today's school of medicine encompasses several sites around northern California including several research departments and academic sites. The school currently boasts four Nobel laureates as part of its faculty.
The School of Medicine at Stanford University is located in Stanford, California, which is northwest of San Jose. Since Stanford is a private university, all students pay the same tuition of $47,343 per year. The school only has around 460 students enrolled and offers students a rather interesting application process that requires several short video interviews.
3. University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine
The medical program at UCLA is a newer program, but has quickly risen to become one of the best medical programs in the United States. Begun just after the Second World War, the school was established in late 1945 as an effort to ensure residents of southern California had access to local medical education. The medical school was gifted a significant endowment by David Geffen in 2002 and was renamed in his honor.
Located in Los Angeles in a community known as "Westwood," the David Geffen School of Medicine costs $34,784 for in-state students and $47,029 for out-of-state students. The school has over 3,000 full-time and part-time faculty on staff and the school has around 750 students enrolled each year.
