<p>Hi, I am newbie here, and please pardon me if I broke any unstated rules :)</p>
<p>Are UMich's programs in biological and biomedical sciences (especially graduate programs) considered strong and prestigious?</p>
<p>According to the USNews, it is currently ranked #19 , tied with UWash, UPenn, UCLA, and just slightly behind Chicago and Columbia (<a href="http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/biological-sciences-rankings">http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/biological-sciences-rankings</a>)</p>
<p>That is already a very nice spot, but isn't it a bit weak when we consider UMich's rankings in the sister disciplines, such as biomedical engineering (#10), med school-as in research (used to be up there #6 with Yale), and public health (#4)?</p>
<p>I am new to these kinds of ranking, but sometimes I wonder if the USNews ranking for biological sciences is reliable. </p>
<p>For example, according to NRC Ranking, UMich appears nearly everywhere in top doctoral programs (Genetics, Cell and Developmental Biology, Physiology, Pharmacology, Neuroscience, etc). Even Princeton does not show up that frequently in these fields, yet they are ranked super high in the USNews.<br>
<a href="http://chronicle.com/article/NRC-Rankings-Overview-/124733/">http://chronicle.com/article/NRC-Rankings-Overview-/124733/</a></p>