The University of Washington School of Dentistry is ranked No. 3 in the United States and No. 4 in the world by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy in its newly released 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities subject rankings.
In the field of dental and oral sciences, the University of Washington trails only the dental schools at the University of Michigan, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and King’s College London. Harvard University rounds out the top five.
“I am so happy to see our school ranked as No. 3 in the nation and No. 4 in the world,” said Dean Gary Chiodo. “These are outstanding rankings and reflect the hard work and expertise of our faculty, staff, and students. Certainly, these outcomes are due in no small part to our outstanding researchers who continue to make us one of the very best dental research institutes in the world. I am so proud to be part of this fantastic dental school.”
The ARWU assessment focuses heavily on research performance and reputation, as gauged by peer-reviewed journal citations and other measures. The annual rankings were originated by Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2003.
Research at the School of Dentistry is carried out primarily by faculty members and full-time researchers. However, students are also strongly encouraged to pursue research under faculty mentorship through programs such as the Summer Research Fellowship Program and the Multidisciplinary Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Program. The school also offers a DDS/PhD track for students that allows them to pursue advanced research after earning their dental degree.
For nearly three decades, the school has also conducted the Summer Institute in Dental and Craniofacial Clinical Research Methods, one of the leading training programs of its kind. The six-week institute, which draws attendees from around the world, provides training in biostatistics, clinical epidemiology/study design, personal computing applications, clinical trials, behavioral research in dentistry, grantsmanship, and case studies in data analysis.
The institute has been canceled for this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but hopes to resume activities in 2021.
The school also has the Timothy A. DeRouen Center for Global Oral Health, which since 2013 has promoted international collaborations in dental research and education.