Top medical schools for research: U.S. News' 2014 rankings

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If you're interested in medical research, which university is right for you? U.S. News and World Report compiled a list of the best medical schools the country for research, factoring in reputation for academic quality, student selectivity in admissions, and faculty-to-student ratio, among other indicators. The schools on this list are on the cusp of medical research and cutting edge medical technologies and treatments. Keep clicking to find out which establishments earned top spots on the list.

8. University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (TIE)

2012-2013 Tuition & fees: $29,546 (in-state); $47,138 (out-of-state) Enrollment: 679 Last year's rank: 10 The University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor emphasizes a hands-on approach, and students begin seeing patients a semester after entering school. Students can also complete dual degree programs and get a M.B.A. or a Master

8. University of Chicago (Pritzker) (TIE)

2012-2013 Tuition & fees: $48,293 Enrollment: 377 Last year's rank: 10 Active learning is encouraged at the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago. Students are graded on a pass/fail scale, and scholarship and discovery are emphasized as part of the curriculum. The University of Chicago's Center for Care and Discovery is seen in this image.

8. Duke University (TIE)

2012-2013 Tuition & fees: $51,366 Enrollment: 425 Last year's rank: 9 Traditional student class-training at the School of Medicine at Duke University in Durham, N.C. is condensed into three years. Students are allowed to pursue an elective rotation in their fourth year to further customize their education to what they are interested in. Duke University School of Medicine students listen to an instructor in this undated image.

8. Columbia University (TIE)

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

2012-2013 Tuition & fees: $54,855 Enrollment: 662 Last year's rank: 8 Medical school at The College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University is divided into three parts: fundamentals -- which last a year and a half -- major clinical year, and "electives and selectives," which is a 14-month program of clinicals, refresher courses, and projects.

7. Yale University

Robert A. Lisak/Yale University School of Medicine

2012-2013 Tuition & fees: $50,080 Enrollment: 397 Last year's rank: 7 The Yale University School of Medicine doesn't rank students for the first two years of medical school in order to encourage them to take the initiative in their education, according to U.S. News. Attendance isn't taken in preclinical classes and tests are optional and self-directed. Students can also pursue a M.D./M.P.H. (Master of Public Health) and M.D./M.H.S. (Master of Health Science); an M.D./M.B.A. through the Yale School of Management; an M.D./M.Div. through Yale Divinity School; and an M.D./J.D. through Yale Law School. There is also an M.D./Ph.D. degree and a Physician Associate program. Using optical techniques, graduate students Amanda Casale, left, and Amanda Foust analyze the response of a neuron to electrical stimulation during an experiment examining the behavior of brain cells in the neurobiology laboratory of Dr. David McCormick in this undated photo.

6. Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University School of Medicine

2012-2013 Tuition & fees: $52,020 Enrollment: 478 Last year's rank: 6 Students at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine are allowed to take electives in the first year, do research projects and earn an optional master's degree with a fifth year of study. First-year classes are pass or fail where students are not assigned grades. For the remaining three years, students can achieve either honors, high pass, pass or fail for their classes.

4. University of Pennsylvania (Perelman) (TIE)

Perelman School of Medicine at the Unviersity of Pennsylvania

2012-2013 Tuition & fees: $50,746 Enrollment: 646 Last year's rank: 2 The University of Pennsylvania was home to the country's first medical school, according to U.S. News. Today at the Perelman School of Medicine, students learn in small groups that stress effective leadership and teamwork for physicians. They can get involved in more than 50 centers and institutes depending on their area of study. Penn Medicine faculty and students are often active in the Philadelphia community, according to the rankings, running free health clinics and awareness programs.

4. University of California, San Francisco (TIE)

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2012-2013 Tuition & fees: $35,134 (in-state); $47,379 (out-of-state) Enrollment: 648 Last year's rank: 5 At the School of Medicine at University of California -- San Francisco, medical students take two years of courses before embarking on a year of clerkships and one year of clinicals. The majority of students are from California. Students can pursue a second degree through dual and joint programs as well as enroll in a program for Medical Education for the Urban Underserved, which is a five-year education that readies students to work in impoverished communities across the country. Surgeons perform a procedure at UCSF in this image.

3. Johns Hopkins University

2012-2013 Tuition & fees: $45,434 Enrollment: 479 Last year's rank: 2 Students at the four colleges of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Nathans, Sabin, Taussig, and Thomas) undergo the Genes to Society Curriculum, which combines academics with simultaneous clinical experiences. Students also take Intersessions, which are weeklong special courses that emphasize simulation and advanced skills. A medical student watches monitors as Dr. Dorry Segev performs arthroscopic surgery during a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.

2. Stanford University

2012-2013 Tuition & fees: $48,030 Enrollment: 461 Last year's rank: 4 Located in Silicon Valley, Calif., the School of Medicine at Stanford University encourages student research with more than 140 school centers and programs. Stanford

1. Harvard University

Harvard Medical School at Harvard University

2012-2013 Tuition & fees: $53,496 Enrollment: 700 Last year's rank: 1 Harvard Medical School's curriculum was set in the 1800s, but it continues to innovate and influence medical education and research. Students participate in academics which are graded on a pass/fail basis for the first two years before beginning clinicals, which can be completed at nearly 20 affiliated institutions throughout the city.