Penn’s medical school quits U.S. News rankings

The Perelman School of Medicine joins Penn Carey Law School, which remains resolute in its opposition to the rankings

SARA FORASTIERI, ELEA CASTIGLIONE, AND MAX ANNUNZIATA Senior Reporter and Staff Reporters

The Perelman School of Medicine announced that it will no longer participate in the annual U.S. News and World Report “Best Medical Schools” rankings.

J. Larry Jameson, dean of the Medical School and executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System, publicized the decision in a memo sent to the faculty, staff, and students on Jan. 24. He emphasized the “focus on innovation and impact and shaping the future of medicine as more important cornerstones for measuring the school’s reputation,” according to Penn Medicine's press release.

“The USNWR measures encourage the acceptance of students based upon the highest grades and test scores,” Jameson wrote to the Penn Medicine community, according to the press release. “Yet, we strive to identify and attract students with a wide array of characteristics that predict promise.”

Penn Carey Law also disclosed their decision to withdraw in early December. Subsequently, U.S. News & World Report announced changes to how it ranks law schools in a letter sent to the deans of American law schools on Jan. 2, but Penn Carey Law did not change its opposition in response to the announcement.

The University of Pennslyvania Carey Law School, which most recently ranked sixth in the U.S. News rankings, described them as “unnecessarily secretive and contrary to important parts of our mission” when it said it would no longer submit data on Dec. 2.

A spokesperson for U.S. News did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Penn Carey Law wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian that it had nothing to add from its early December statement, where it announced it would end its participation in the rankings.

“In the interest of greater transparency, we will make relevant data public so that anyone can see the inputs that make Penn Carey Law a leading law school and how our alumni launch