By Brian McNeill

U.S. News & World Report has ranked Virginia Commonwealth University among the world’s top 20% of universities as part of its 2025-26 list of Best Global Universities.

VCU tied for No. 411 among the top 2,250 universities across 105 countries. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of indicators of excellence, assessing academic research and reputation.

“VCU’s placement among the top 20% of universities worldwide affirms our growing reputation as a leader in impactful research, cutting-edge education and global engagement,” said Beverly Warren, Ed.D., Ph.D., interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “This recognition reflects the extraordinary work of our faculty, whose achievements are driving us upward in every major ranking. From AI-integrated curricula to boundary-breaking research institutes like the Convergence Labs, VCU is establishing itself as a premier public urban research university on the world stage.”

Seventeen programs at VCU were listed among the world’s best, notably including Gastroenterology and Hepatology, which was ranked No. 9 worldwide, and Surgery, which tied for No. 74.

“Our Gastroenterology and Hepatology division is revolutionizing the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of liver disease through transformational research and innovation,” said Art Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the School of Medicine and executive vice president for medical affairs, VCU Health. “Its Top 10 global ranking in U.S. News & World Report, like our Top 75 ranking in Surgery, are just two of the many proof points that our research, training and clinical care across all disciplines are truly world-class.”

Arun Sanyal, M.D., chief of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, professor at the School of Medicine and director of the Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health, said the division is delighted to see its ranking rise again.

“This recognition of our high-quality gastroenterology-hepatology program as one with tremendous academic research performance reflects the wide-ranging expertise of our dedicated faculty and staff, who make the science done in our program possible,” he said. “I am grateful to all of them as we continue building our program and strive to make it a Top 5 program in the world.”

For the full list of VCU’s programs in the Best Global Universities rankings and for more information, visit the U.S. News ranking page for VCU.