VCU Gastroenterology-Hepatology Program Now Ninth Worldwide
By A.J. Hostetler, Communications Director
Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health
U.S. News & World Report, which ranks Virginia Commonwealth University among the top 20% of all universities in the world for 2025-26, ranked VCU’s gastroenterology-hepatology program as 9th worldwide.
The new ranking moves VCU’s program up two spots from the previous year’s ranking. The program ranks fourth in the nation and first in the South and Southeast.
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 five program in the world.”
“The ranking reflects the dedication, commitment and excellence of our team and program to create a better tomorrow for our patients.”
To produce the subject-specific rankings, U.S. News uses a methodology based on academic research performance in each subject. These subject rankings are not of academic majors, departments or specific schools at a university, like a business or medical school. U.S. News uses various bibliometric measures, including publications and citations, as well as indicators for global and regional reputation in each specific subject area.
The university’s ranking, No. 411 among the world’s 2,250 top universities, is based on 13 indicators of excellence that measured schools’ academic research performance and global and regional reputations.
In addition, VCU’s surgery program 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 is truly world-class.”