Texas has over a dozen different medical schools, but not all of them offer the same kind of education for the money. When picking a medical school in Texas, it's important to find a school that has top marks for both primary care and research. These are the top three ranked medical schools in Texas and what each one has to offer for a well-rounded education.
1. Baylor College of Medicine – #24 Primary Care and #18 Research
Baylor College of Medicine is located in Houston. Over 700 students are enrolled at this school's medical program, which costs an estimated $20,000 per year for a full-time student. The school offers four M.D. dual degree programs including the Medical Scientist Training Program, which is a combination of an M.D. and Ph.D. program. The school also partners with Rice University for more research opportunities. In addition, medical students with a knack for business can go to the Jones School of Management in combination with Baylor Medical School to earn a combination M.D. and M.B.A in five years. The Department of Pediatrics is one of the best programs in the United States at Baylor. Many students choose Baylor specifically because of this program.
2. University of Texas SW Medical Center – #31 Primary Care and #22 Research
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is one of many medical schools partnered with the University of Texas. This medical school is located in Dallas and has 939 students enrolled. In-state, full-time tuition runs about $15,000 per year, which makes it one of the lowest yearly tuition for medical schools in Texas. The Medical Center has three schools including the Medical School, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Health Professions. The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences offers both master's and doctoral degrees in physical therapy, biomedical communication and cancer biology. The medical school works directly with Parkland Memorial Hospital, St. Paul University Hospital and Children's Medical Center Dallas. The research facilities at this school are phenomenal for the price. The UT Southwestern Medical Center also won a Nobel price for discovering the cholesterol mechanism.
3. University of North Texas Health Science Center – #31 Primary Care
More than 800 students enroll at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. With an average in-state tuition of $12,500, it's one of the best schools to go to for medical students on a budget. The University of North Texas Health Science Center is best known for its Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. It's the only osteopathic medical school in the state. The medical program is a little different here and uses PAC to teach students, which stands for Problem-Focused and Application-Oriented. With a unique rural curriculum over four years, students receive opportunities for preceptorships and clinical rotations all over Texas. The school also has dual degree opportunities including a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) and Ph.D. program. The other program is a D.O. and M.S. program that takes about five years to complete. The school also offers international rotations so that students can study in Russia, Malawi and Kenya.
Some honorable mentions also include UT Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and Texas A&M Health Science Center, which both have top 100 medical programs in research and primary care.
