Best Thoracic Surgery Residency Programs 2027

In our 2027 rankings the top five thoracic surgery programs are Cleveland Clinic, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Brigham and Women's Hospital, University of Pennsylvania and Duke University Health System (Duke Health). Open any program for its training hospitals, pay and key research.

These rankings cover 35 thoracic surgery residency programs in 20 states and territories.

5 programs in this list say they sponsor H-1B visas, including Cleveland Clinic, Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University and McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. Use the visa filter to see them all, and confirm with each program before you apply.

Measured as PGY-1 pay against a typical local one-bedroom rent, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics come out ahead.

Each program is judged on the hospitals where residents train, the depth of its faculty, its research and pay against local rent. No reputation surveys are used. 2MM+ members can set their own weights.