School of Dentistry maintains top-20 national standing in NIH funding

By Kyle Rogers February 17, 2026

Exterior of UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry. Lettering on the building says The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston.

UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry ranks 18th nationally among dental schools that received research funding from the National Institutes of Health in 2025, according to the annual Blue Ridge rankings. Photo by Kyle Rogers.

UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry ranked 18th nationally and No. 2 in Texas among dental schools receiving research funding from the National Institutes of Health in 2025, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research’s annual rankings.

Released in February, the rankings evaluate institutions, departments, and investigators based on NIH funding received over the previous federal fiscal year.

The School of Dentistry reported over $5.2 million in research grants funded through September 2025.

“This year’s Blue Ridge ranking reflects the enduring momentum, depth, and stability of our research enterprise,” said Dean John A. Valenza, DDS. “The School of Dentistry’s continued placement among the top 20 nationally and among the top in Texas underscores the sustained achievements of our faculty, staff, students, and residents, whose work drives advances that benefit both oral and overall health. We remain focused on expanding the scope and impact of our research for the benefit of the communities we serve.”

This marks the third straight year the School of Dentistry has ranked inside the top 20, having ranked 10th nationally in both 2023 and 2024.

The dental school was one of several UTHealth Houston schools to be ranked among the nation’s leaders in NIH funding. Joining the School of Dentistry were Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston (No. 8 nationally) with just under $12 million in grant funding and UTHealth Houston School of Public Health (No. 15 nationally) with $30.8 million in research grants. McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston reported $124 million in research funding, ranking No. 51 among U.S. medical schools and remaining in the top 35% nationally. The ranking matches the medical school’s 2024 position and ties for its highest placement since 2002.