The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is pleased to be ranked as one of the top medical schools in the nation in 2026 for the most graduates specializing in primary care, continuing ACOM’s previous years of success according to U.S. News & World Report.

U.S. News ranked ACOM No. 22 of 168 schools across the nation for the most graduates specializing in primary care. The respected publication also ranked ACOM No. 32 nationally for graduates serving medically needy areas and No. 51 for graduates serving rural areas. These rankings underscore ACOM’s positive impact among peer medical schools and reflect the realization of the Houston County Health Care Authority’s original vision and strategic intent in
establishing a medical school. That vision is now being recognized on both a regional and national scale through the latest U.S. News awards.

“We are pleased to be recognized among the nation’s best for the third year in a row,” said James C. Jones, DO, FACEP, dean of ACOM. “We achieve this success because our talented students, faculty and staff are committed to the vision and mission of ACOM.”

The 2026 ACOM graduating class achieved an outstanding match rate that exceeded the national average among all medical schools. Notably, 52 percent of graduates matched or placed into primary care residency programs. Overall, more than 99 percent of the class secured residency placements across 16 specialties, including highly competitive fields such as orthopedic surgery, interventional radiology, neurology, and general surgery.

“We are proud with how competitive our graduates are across all residency specialties,” said Dr. Jones. “We provide our graduates with a high-quality osteopathic medical education so they can excel in all specialties, and we are pleased that so many of our graduates choose primary care.”

By collecting graduate school data annually, U.S. News is able to present the latest enrollment numbers, job placement rates, faculty statistics and other essential quality indicators that help prospective students make informed decisions.