USF Health Morsani College of Medicine is ranked best in the state
USF’s Morsani College of Medicine has been named the top medical school in Florida and ranked among the nation’s best in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings.
The college, now recognized as a Tier 1 institution, is the only medical school in Florida to receive this distinction.
Charles Lockwood, the executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, said the recognition shows a decade of hard work and strategic planning.
“I haven’t stopped smiling,” Lockwood said. “It’s gratifying to be listed in that group, and it validates what we already knew, which is that we have a great educational program.”
The criteria used to measure the rankings are research activity, student selectivity and faculty resources, said Cody Hawley, a USF Health spokesperson. Faculty resources refers to the ratio of full-time faculty and students in the program.
Over 100 schools were ranked using this criteria and then sorted into four tiers. Tier one is the highest, which USF’s Morsani College of Medicine earned.
Other schools in the country to receive the Tier 1 distinction were Baylor College of Medicine, Ohio State University College of Medicine and Emory University School of Medicine.
Related: USF org gives medical resources to communities in Dominican Republic
Lockwood has been at USF since 2014 and the medical school was ranked 80th nationally when he arrived. He said the school has seen tremendous growth since then.
He said the university has tripled its research capabilities, which has allowed it to reach AAU status and increase its NIH funding, helping it reach its new ranking.
When USF achieved AAU status in 2023, it became the first Florida public university to be invited in 40 years, according to the university.
Related: AAU membership could boost USF Athletics programs
In 2024, USF received $738 million in research funding and had a 158% increase in research funding from the NIH, according to the university. Total research funding has increased by 212%.
Kami Kim, a professor of medicine, said USF catching up to UF in health care shows how far the university has come. UF is ranked Tier 2 in Research, according to the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings.
“I think we have a reasonably friendly rivalry with the University of Florida, and it’s yet another mark of how USF is rising in the world,” Kim said.
Lockwood credited the USF Health faculty for its hard work.
“When I got here, I gave us my credo: excellence in everything,” Lockwood said. “I think we’ve achieved that — clinically, educationally and now in research.”
He added that USF’s partnerships with Tampa General Hospital and Moffitt Cancer Center have strengthened both clinical training and research opportunities for students and faculty.
“We’re blessed to have Tampa General and Moffitt as our amazing teaching hospitals, which are two of the best in the country,” Lockwood said.
Related: USF, TGH to receive cutting-edge robotics device for microsurgery
Kim said she was proud of the ranking but cautioned against focusing solely on numbers.
“I don’t want rankings to be in a situation where you lose sight of what we’re really trying to do at USF as far as our educational mission and our mission to serve our community,” Kim said.
Kim said the university has really “grown to serve the area,” and said it’s always good to be recognized for hard work.
“USF is outstanding in giving other traditional universities in Florida a run for their money, so that’s fantastic and is a mark of everybody’s commitment to excellence,” Kim said.
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