June 16, 2026
This article was originally published on the Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health. An article regarding the university’s overall ratings is available on VCU News.
VCU Gastroenterology-Hepatology Program Now Eighth Worldwide
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The program ranks fourth in the nation and first in the South and Southeast.
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 2026-27, ranked VCU’s gastroenterology-hepatology program as eighth worldwide.
The new ranking moves VCU’s program up one spot from the previous year’s ranking, and up from 11th in 2024. 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.
“The sustained upward trajectory of our program is a remarkable achievement for the GI-liver programs at VCU, and testimony to the excellence and commitment to creating an environment to nurture the leaders of tomorrow and to improve the lives of our patients,” Sanyal said. “The foot-print of our program extends beyond just our specialty to inform the care of patients with heart disease, diabetes and even dementia. We will continue to strive to improve upon our performance today for an even better tomorrow.”
Overall, VCU ranked No. 400 (tie) out of 2,250 universities across 105 countries in the annual rankings, which assess academic research and reputation. The ranking is based on 13 indicators of excellence that measured schools’ academic research performance and global and regional reputations. 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.
“This international recognition speaks volumes to the depth and rigor of VCU’s academic enterprise,” said Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president and provost. “Ranking in the top 20% globally — with specialized fields like gastroenterology in the top 10 worldwide — is a testament to our faculty and students’ relentless pursuit of research excellence that resonates far beyond the borders of this university, the commonwealth or the country. If these rankings only tell us one thing, it’s that VCU is a destination for world-class faculty to drive discovery and push boundaries.”