Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine at University of Pikeville has the most graduates practicing in rural areas, according to U.S. News and World Report's best medical schools rankings.
The rankings are part of the U.S. News annual best graduate schools lists, released March 30. The rankings of medical schools with the most graduates practicing in rural areas is based on American Academy of Family Physicians data and the proportion of each school's 2012-2014 medical and osteopathic graduates practicing direct patient care in the nation's rural areas as of 2020.
For the rankings, U.S. News divided the number of graduating physicians practicing direct patient care in rural areas by the total number of graduating physicians for each medical and osteopathic school. Nearly 160 schools were ranked from highest to lowest by percent practicing in rural areas, defined as those practicing in nonmetropolitan counties. Read more about the methodology here.
U.S. News' 10 schools with the most graduates practicing in rural areas:
1. University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine
2. William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Hattiesburg, Miss.)
3. University of Mississippi School of Medicine (Jackson)
4. A.T. Still University of Health Sciences-Kirksville (Mo.)
5. University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine (Omaha)
6. University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine (Sioux Falls)
7. Des Moines (Iowa) University College of Osteopathic Medicine
8. Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Parker, Colo.)
9. University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (Grand Forks)
10. Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences (Tulsa)
To view the full rankings, click here.