The USF Health Morsani College of Medicine has once again secured the top spot in the nation, ranking number one for the second consecutive year in the 2026 Medical School Excellence Index. Released today by the Center for Accountability in Medicine, the index highlighted USF as the sole institution to earn a perfect score of 100. This achievement underscores a period of unprecedented growth and academic rigor for the college, which continues to distinguish itself through highly competitive admission standards and a steadfast commitment to traditional educational excellence.
Contributing significantly to this ranking was an incoming class described as the strongest in the college’s history. New students arrived with a median GPA of 3.98 and a median MCAT score of 521, placing them within the top two percent of candidates nationwide. Dr. Charles J. Lockwood, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, attributed this success to a shared culture of hard work among both faculty and students. He noted that the program’s demanding curriculum is specifically designed to mold future physician leaders capable of providing superior care across Florida and the rest of the country.
Beyond raw test scores, the center praised USF for its institutional transparency and resistance to politicized ideologies in medicine. The indexing body, a project of the national policy group Do No Harm, rewards schools that maintain strict academic standards over social initiatives. Specifically, USF earned high marks for utilizing tiered grading systems and avoiding diversity, equity, and inclusion offices—a practice rooted in a long standing policy against race or gender preferences in admissions dating back to 1999.
This latest accolade follows closely on the heels of other major milestones for the institution. Earlier this year, USF earned a Tier 1 research rating from U.S. News and World Report, becoming one of only sixteen medical schools in the United States to reach that level. By consistently outperforming peers such as Vanderbilt University and Perelman School of Medicine at UPenn, Morsani has solidified its position as a premier hub for medical training and research within the state of Florida.
