Chicago, a city in the Midwest, is well known as a medical education and research center thanks to its major medical schools, teaching hospitals, and the Illinois Medical District. The city offers an excellent environment for students interested in medical studies at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels.
These medical institutions, along with several others in the Chicago area, provide an exciting academic setting and prepare students to work effectively with medical practitioners in the future. The Illinois Medical District is a 560-acre special-use district near the Loop with hospitals, research facilities, laboratories, universities, and other health care-related organizations. Students will find many opportunities to engage with experienced professionals and develop their skills at the following medical institutions.
That’s why we listed some of the notable medical schools in and near Chicago for you to pursue your medical degree. Read the article below to learn more!
Top Medical Schools in Chicago
1. University of Chicago
For a medical school, the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine has an admirably small class size of about 90 students per class. The university is known for its selective admissions, but that can also benefit students by helping them get to know their professors and build strong personal and professional relationships with their classmates.
The curriculum at Pritzker uses a pass/fail grading system, with some exceptions for required clinical clerkships. Pritzker is also located in one of Chicago’s most diverse and exciting neighborhoods: Hyde Park. The area has a college-town feel, and students can access the cultural, dining, and professional opportunities of Chicago. While many medical schools are located away from the main campus, Pritzker is physically located on the University of Chicago campus. This gives students access to main-campus facilities and opportunities for interdisciplinary work with other departments.
Lastly, Pritzker has a reputation for a supportive academic atmosphere. The school is committed to diversity and inclusion, and students can use the Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Office for resources and support in getting involved with the campus community.
2. Northwestern University
Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago, along the shores of Lake Michigan. Regarding the curriculum at Feinberg, students receive a well-rounded education. In addition to their studies, they are encouraged to pursue real-world experiences, including clinical and community-based opportunities.
Students also have access to resources such as the Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health and the Center for Global Health Education, which support global health education and training opportunities. Feinberg students receive clinical exposure from the beginning of the MD curriculum and can participate in longitudinal experiences such as the Education-Centered Medical Home program, which helps students learn about long-term patient care and clinical relationships.
Moreover, students build essential skills such as interviewing, physical examination, and patient history-taking. Northwestern University also supports students’ work-life balance through resources focused on physical, emotional, spiritual, and interpersonal or community wellness.
3. University of Illinois, Chicago
With more than 1,200 students enrolled, the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine is one of the largest public medical schools in the United States. The institution has three campuses: Chicago, Peoria, and Rockford. Across these campuses, the college has approximately 4,000 faculty members ready to work closely with students in developing the knowledge and skills essential to the medical profession.
At the Chicago campus, students are in the Illinois Medical District, one of the country’s largest urban medical districts. The district is a special-use zoning district near the Loop and consists of 560 acres of medical research facilities, laboratories, universities, hospitals, and other health care-related organizations. Students receive early clinical experience, working closely with experienced mentors to learn how to take patient histories and accompany physicians on rounds as early as their first year.
Its students gain experience in community clinics, major teaching hospitals, and other settings. The college also offers more than 25 residency programs, more than 80 fellowship programs, and scholarship opportunities through UIC’s scholarship and financial aid systems.
4. Rush University
Rush University’s Medical College has a strong reputation as one of the first medical colleges founded in the Midwest. The school is located in Chicago’s Illinois Medical District near the Loop, meaning attendees can access a diverse metropolitan area with museums, restaurants, and Lake Michigan nearby. Rush University Medical Center also continues to earn national recognition for quality and safety, including a No. 6 ranking in Vizient’s 2025 Quality and Accountability Study and a 2026 “A” safety grade from the Leapfrog Group.
Rush University offers health science education across medicine, nursing, allied health, and biomedical research. Its reputation and mission make it an excellent choice for students hoping to pursue medical studies. Rush Medical College’s mission is to nurture empathic, proficient physicians dedicated to continuous learning, innovation, clinical practice, education, research, and service. The university and its students pursue ongoing research that impacts the world.
With a 2025 entering class of 144 students, Rush Medical College gives students opportunities to form lasting relationships with the people they encounter regularly. The student body is geographically diverse; in the 2025 entering class, 31 matriculants were Illinois residents and 113 were out-of-state residents. Rush University also encourages students to engage in community service and gain meaningful health care exposure. MD students begin working with patients within the first few weeks of their first year.
5. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Chicago Medical School is part of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, located in North Chicago, Illinois, about 35 miles north of downtown Chicago. Chicago Medical School was established in 1912, and the university is named after Dr. Rosalind Franklin, whose X-ray diffraction work helped her capture “Photograph 51” of DNA in 1952. The college emphasizes a variety of medical environments, which helps students prepare for the clinical settings they may encounter after graduation.
This Chicago-area medical school has revised its curriculum to help students engage in preventive and personalized patient care, work in interprofessional health care teams, and provide care in multiple settings, including virtual ones. Its academic environment includes allopathic medicine, clinical sciences, foundational sciences and humanities, biomedical sciences, and research-focused options such as the MD with Distinction in Research and MD/PhD. At the university level, RFU also offers combined MD/PhD, DPM/PhD, and PharmD/PhD pathways through the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
At Chicago Medical School, students can pursue their studies while taking advantage of RFU’s simulation-based learning resources. Students engage in active learning, early clinical contact, and a range of clinical and service-learning experiences in a medical-minded community. That’s why the institution is another excellent choice for anyone hoping to make the most of their medical studies.
As the most populated city in Illinois, Chicago is an excellent destination for students pursuing a degree in medicine. Students should consider living costs, admissions requirements, and each school’s policies for international applicants before applying. The Chicago area is home to several major medical institutions, and students from around the world can review each university’s eligibility rules and application requirements as they plan their path toward practicing medicine in the U.S.
We hope this article on the best medical schools in Chicago was helpful. If you are interested in studying in the United States, check out the Study in the USA Page and the Available Programs for International Students!
